VirginiaVoter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration.
What it does
Voter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration; certain adjudications. Provides that any person who loses his political rights as a result of a felony conviction shall be invested with those rights upon his release from incarceration and shall be entitled to register to vote. The bill directs the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to transmit to the Department of Elections certain information for incarcerated persons with a pending date of release and requires the Department of Elections to process the information and make the necessary changes to the voter registration system to permit such persons to register to vote by the date of the person's scheduled date of release.
More detail
On the date of an incarcerated person's release, the appropriate authority is required by the bill to provide a voter registration application, information on returning the form by mail or completing it by electronic means, and an official release document to serve as a safety net for voter registration. The bill also amends the language regarding adjudications of mental incompetency for purposes of being qualified to vote; a person adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote until that capacity has been reestablished. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, contingent upon the approval of the constitutional amendments at the November 3, 2026, general election. This bill is identical to HB 964.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 11Governor's recommendation received by SenateLatest
- Mar 10Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 10Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026Minor
- Mar 6Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB162)
- Mar 4Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 4Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 4Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB162ER)Major
- Mar 4EnrolledMinor
- Mar 2Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB162)
- Feb 27House substitute agreed to by Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A)Major
- Vote recorded Concur House Substitute R. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded Concur House Substitute R. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Reconsider R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 27Reconsideration of (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 27House substitute rejected by Senate (18-Y 20-N 0-A)
- Feb 25Passed House with substitute (65-Y 33-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 25Engrossed by House - committee substituteMajor
- Feb 25committee substitute agreed toMajor
- Feb 25Read third timeMinor
- Feb 24Read second timeMinor
- Feb 20Committee substitute printed 26107718D-H1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 20Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (15-Y 6-N)Minor
- Feb 20House committee offered
- Feb 18Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Feb 18Read first timeMinor
- Feb 18Placed on Calendar
- Feb 13Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 12Engrossed by Senate as amended (Voice Vote)
- Feb 12Privileges and Elections Amendment agreed toMajor
- Feb 12Read second timeMinor
- Feb 11Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 11Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 11Rules suspended
- Feb 10Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 3Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 3Senate committee offered
- Feb 2Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB162)
- Jan 7Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Jan 7Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100690DIntroduced