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ACROSS SESSIONS
- Subject Index: Since 1995
- Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
- Summaries: Since 1994
Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
2015 SESSION
Chairman: Jill Holtzman Vogel
Clerk: Hobie Lehman
Staff: Meg Burruss
Date of Meeting: February 3, 2015
Time and Place: 4:00PM / Senate Room A
***UPDATED TO ADD SB 1463***
Patron: Howell
Elections; absentee voting; no-excuse, in-person. Allows qualified voters to vote absentee in person without providing an excuse for not being able to vote in person on election day. The bill retains the statutory list of specific reasons allowing a voter to cast an absentee ballot by mail.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-700 and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting; persons eligible to vote absentee in person.15100241D
Patron: Ebbin
Voter identification; accepted forms of identification. Adds to the list of accepted forms of identification for purposes of voting valid student photo identification cards issued by any private school located in the Commonwealth or by any public or private school or institution of higher education located in any other state or territory of the United States. Students of public high schools in Virginia are currently permitted to use their student photo identification cards for purposes of voting because current law allows the use of photo identification issued by the Commonwealth or one of its political subdivisions. Current law also allows students from public or private institutions of higher education located in the Commonwealth to use their student photo identification cards for purposes of voting.
A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-643 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter identification; accepted forms of identification.15100596D
Patron: Edwards
Voter registration; duties of State Board of Elections and general registrars. Requires general registrars to conduct and complete within 30 days of the receipt of precinct lists from the State Board a cross-check of precinct list voters with voter registration data supplied by other states in the interstate cross-check system developed under current law by the State Board. The bill requires the State Board to grant an extension of up to 30 days to complete the cross-check if so requested by a general registrar within 48 hours of initial receipt of the precinct list. The bill requires the general registrars to, at a minimum, compare the Virginia Voter Registration System registration history and Virginia voting history of precinct list voters with the out-of-state registration data provided in the interstate cross-check system and prohibits the cancellation of a voter's registration within 90 days prior to a primary or general election solely on the basis of the interstate cross-check. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act passed in 2015 by the General Assembly that becomes law.
A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-404 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; voter registration lists; duties of State Board of Elections and general registrars.15100897D
Patron: Barker
Voter identification; accepted forms of identification. Adds to the list of accepted forms of identification for purposes of voting valid student photo identification cards issued by any private school located in the Commonwealth. Students of public high schools are currently permitted to use their student photo identification cards for purposes of voting because current law allows the use of photo identification issued by the Commonwealth or one of its political subdivisions. Current law also allows students from both public and private institutions of higher education located in the Commonwealth to use their student photo identification cards for purposes of voting.
A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-643 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter identification; accepted forms of identification.15100418D
Patron: Favola
Elections; assistance for certain voters. Allows any qualified voter who is 75 years of age or older or a person with a disability to request to go to the front of the line and to vote at the next available voting booth or voting system. The bill requires the chief officer of election or other designated election official to grant any such request made between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. This provision applies also to central absentee voting precincts and locations in the county or city approved by the electoral board for the purpose of casting absentee ballots. A qualified voter who is 65 years of age or older or a person with a disability is still permitted to vote outside the polling place pursuant to § 24.2-649.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-638, 24.2-649, and 24.2-707 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; assistance for certain voters.15103133D
Patron: Wexton
Voter identification; accepted forms of identification. Adds to the list of accepted forms of identification for purposes of voting a valid identification card that contains a photograph of the voter and is issued by any private entity that is licensed or certified, in whole or in part, by the State Department of Health, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, or the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. An employee of any such private entity is currently permitted to use his employee identification card, provided the card contains a photograph of the voter, for purposes of voting. The bill allows a resident or other person who receives services from such private entity to use a valid identification card, provided the card contains a photograph of the voter, issued by the private entity.
A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-643 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter identification; accepted forms of identification.15102254D
Patron: Dance
Elections; absentee voting; no-excuse, in-person. Allows qualified voters to vote absentee in person without providing an excuse for not being able to vote in person on election day. The bill retains the statutory list of specific reasons allowing a voter to cast an absentee ballot by mail.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-700 and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting; persons eligible to vote absentee in person.15102380D
Patron: McDougle
Elections; assistance for certain voters. Allows any qualified voter who is 75 years of age or older or a person with a disability to request to go to the front of the line and to vote at the next available voting booth or voting system. The bill requires the chief officer of election or other designated election official to grant any such request made between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. This provision applies also to central absentee voting precincts and locations in the county or city approved by the electoral board for the purpose of casting absentee ballots. A qualified voter who is 65 years of age or older or a person with a disability is still permitted to vote outside the polling place pursuant to § 24.2-649.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-638, 24.2-649, and 24.2-707 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; assistance for certain voters.15100741D
Patron: McEachin
Voter registration; voter list maintenance. Extends the current prohibition against periodic list maintenance within the 90 days preceding a federal primary or general election to all primary and general elections. The bill also requires that the processing of registered voter lists developed through list comparisons with other states is to be completed in accordance with the current laws for regular periodic list maintenance.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-404 and 24.2-428 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter registration; voter list maintenance.15100336D
Patron: Vogel
Voter registration; cancellation of registration. Requires the general registrars to cancel the registration of any voter who is identified as registered in another state by an interstate matching program, notification by another state, or comparison by another agency of the list of another state or for whom the registrar receives a notice in accordance with the Driver License Compact that the voter has moved from the Commonwealth. The bill also allows a voter to cancel his registration by notifying the Department of Elections through electronic means of his request to have his name removed from the registration records. The bill further requires the Department of Elections to use commercial change-of-address data to identify voters who have moved.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-404, 24.2-427, and 24.2-428 of the Code of Virginia, relating to cancellation of voter registration.15103121D
Patron: McWaters
Petitions for candidacy; collection of signatures by electronic means. Allows a candidate required to file a petition of candidacy to collect the required number of qualified signatures by electronic means. The Department of Elections is required to make available on its website a petition for any candidate who notifies the Department that he intends to collect signatures electronically. Before a signature is added to the electronic candidate petition, the Department of Elections is required to verify that the name, residence address, and identifying number provided by the qualified voter match the information contained in his voter registration record. The Department of Elections is also required to immediately alert any person whose signature is not added to the petition and to notify the candidate or the chairman of the candidate's political party when the minimum number of qualified signatures has been collected. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2017.
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered §§ 24.2-506.1 and 24.2-521.1, relating to candidate petitions; collection of signatures by electronic means.15103197D
Patron: Wagner
Voter registration; electronic signatures. Prohibits acceptance of an electronic signature on an application to register to vote unless the signature is verified as the signature on record with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-418 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter registration; electronic signatures.15104512D
Patron: McEachin
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); qualifications to vote; restoration of civil rights. Authorizes the General Assembly to provide by law for the restoration of civil rights for persons convicted of felonies who have completed service of their sentences subject to the conditions, requirements, and definitions set forth in that law. The present Constitution provides for restoration of rights by the Governor. The amendment retains the right of the Governor to restore civil rights and adds an alternative for restoration of rights pursuant to law.
Proposing an amendment to Section 1 of Article II of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to the qualifications of voters.15100884D
Patron: Barker
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); apportionment; partisan balance. Requires electoral districts to be drawn to reflect the voting patterns of the Commonwealth with, to the extent practicable, half of the districts more favorable than statewide totals to each of the two political parties most often receiving the most votes cast in statewide elections. The bill further requires, to the extent practicable, districts to be drawn so that the difference in votes between the top two candidates in recent statewide elections was within competitive margins.
Proposing an amendment to Section 6 of Article II of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to apportionment; partisan balance.15103524D
Patron: Smith
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); powers of General Assembly; limitations. Provides that the General Assembly may suspend or nullify any or all portions of any administrative rule or regulation by joint resolution agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each house. When the General Assembly is not in a regular session, a standing committee of each house acting jointly or a joint legislative commission as designated by the General Assembly may suspend any or all portions of any administrative rule or regulation until the end of the next regular session.
Proposing an amendment to Section 14 of Article IV of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to powers of the General Assembly; limitations.15103839D