Constitutional amendment; Virginia Redistricting Commission, criteria to redraw certain districts. [SJR-230]
[Elections ]
[Voting Rights ]
[Race and Civil Rights ]
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); Virginia Redistricting Commission; criteria for legislative and congressional districts. Establishes the seven-member Virginia Redistricting Commission (the Commission) to redraw congressional and General Assembly district boundaries after each decennial census. The Commission is directed to certify district plans for the General Assembly within 30 days of receipt of the new census data or by June 1 of the year following the census, whichever occurs later, and for the House of Representatives within 60
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SJR-230: Constitutional amendment; Virginia Redistricting Commission, criteria to redraw certain districts.
Sponsored by: Sen. Glen Sturtevant
Incorporated By Privileges And Elections on 01/31/2017
Voter registration drives; compensation prohibitions. [HB-1431]
[Elections ]
[Voting Rights ]
Voter registration drives; compensation prohibition. Prohibits any individual or group conducting a voter registration drive from compensating its volunteers or employees on the basis of the number of completed voter registration applications the volunteer or employee collects. The bill also prohibits volunteers and employees from accepting compensation based on the number of completed voter registration applications he collects.
Elections; absentee voting by persons age 70 or older. [SB-827]
[Elections ]
[Senior Citizens ]
[Voting Rights ]
Absentee voting; eligibility of persons age 70 or older. Entitles a person who will be age 70 or older on the date of the election for which an absentee ballot is requested to vote absentee.
SB-827: Elections; absentee voting by persons age 70 or older.
Sponsored by: Sen. Jennifer Wexton
Incorporated By Privileges And Elections on 01/24/2017
Voter identification; accepted forms of identification. [SB-826]
[Voting Rights ]
[Elections ]
[Public Health ]
[Human Services ]
[Disabilities ]
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
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SB-826: Voter identification; accepted forms of identification.
Sponsored by: Sen. Jennifer Wexton
Failed To Report (defeated) In Privileges And Elections (6-y 8-n) on 01/24/2017
Third-party registration groups; registration, disclosure, and recordkeeping requirements, etc. [HB-1430]
[Elections ]
[Voting Rights ]
Third-party registration groups; registration, disclosure, and recordkeeping requirements; compensation prohibition. Requires any individual or organization that will be distributing and collecting voter registration applications to register as a third-party registration group with the Department of Elections (the Department) prior to engaging in any voter registration activities. The bill requires volunteers and employees of third-party registration groups to register with the Department. The Department is required to issue a unique identification
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HB-1430: Third-party registration groups; registration, disclosure, and recordkeeping requirements, etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Mark Cole
Left In Appropriations on 02/08/2017
Absentee voting; photo identification required with application. [HB-1428]
[Voting Rights ]
[Elections ]
[Disabilities ]
[Military ]
Absentee voting; photo identification required with application. Requires any voter submitting an application for an absentee ballot by mail or by electronic or telephonic transmission to a facsimile device to submit with his application a copy of one of the forms of identification acceptable under current law. The bill exempts military and overseas voters and persons with a disability from this requirement. This bill is identical to SB 872.
HB-1428: Absentee voting; photo identification required with application.
Sponsored by: Rep. John O'Bannon
House Sustained Governor's Veto on 04/05/2017
Primary elections; adds political party affiliation to information for voter registration. [SB-821]
[Elections ]
[Voting Rights ]
Voter registration by political party affiliation; primary elections. Adds party affiliation, beginning January 1, 2018, to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when registering to vote. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. Voters registered prior to January 1, 2018, will be designated as independent unless they provide a political party designation in writing to the general registrar. Voters may change their party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time before the registration records are
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SB-821: Primary elections; adds political party affiliation to information for voter registration.
Sponsored by: Sen. John Cosgrove
Read Third Time And Defeated By Senate (11-y 29-n) on 02/06/2017
President and Vice President electors; allocation of electoral votes by congressional district. [HB-1425]
[Elections ]
[Voting Rights ]
Electors for President and Vice President; allocation of electoral votes by congressional district. Revises the process by which the Commonwealth's electoral votes are allocated among the slates of presidential electors. The bill provides that a voter will vote for two electors for the Commonwealth at large and one elector for the congressional district in which he is qualified to vote. The candidates for President and Vice President receiving the highest number of votes cast statewide are allocated the two electoral votes for the Commonwealth at
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HB-1425: President and Vice President electors; allocation of electoral votes by congressional district.
Sponsored by: Rep. Mark Cole
Tabled In Privileges And Elections By Voice Vote on 01/27/2017
Relating to appointment of, conduct of and training of poll watchers [HB-2312]
[Elections ]
[Voting Rights ]
The purpose of this bill is to create the WV Elections Accountability Act. This bill allows poll watchers to be appointed to observe voting in precincts. The bill would allow poll watchers to initiate voter challenges with election officials. It also requires poll watchers to be trained.
HB-2312: Relating to appointment of, conduct of and training of poll watchers
Sponsored by: Rep. Danny Hamrick
Filed For Introduction on 02/09/2017
Constitutional amendment; registration of voters (first reference). [SJR-226]
[Voting Rights ]
[Elections ]
[Data Privacy ]
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); registration of voters. Permits the General Assembly to provide by law for the use of a portion of an applicant's social security number on the voter registration application. Currently, an applicant must provide his full social security number in order to register to vote.
SJR-226: Constitutional amendment; registration of voters (first reference).
Sponsored by: Sen. Scott Surovell
Passed By Indefinitely In Privileges And Elections (8-y 6-n) on 01/31/2017
Voters, qualified; definition of violent felony. [HB-1407]
[Voting Rights ]
[Crime ]
[Criminal Justice ]
[Elections ]
[Public Safety ]
[Law Enforcement ]
Qualified voters; definition of violent felony. Defines the term "violent felony" to be used in determining a person's eligibility for restoration of his civil rights. The bill has an effective date of January 1, 2019, contingent upon voter approval of amendments to Article II, Section 1 and Article V, Section 12 of the Constitution of Virginia at the November 2018 general election.
HB-1407: Voters, qualified; definition of violent felony.
Sponsored by: Rep. John O'Bannon
Left In Courts Of Justice on 02/07/2017
Constitutional amendment; top two open primary election (first reference). [HJR-541]
[Elections ]
[Voting Rights ]
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); top two open primary election. Provides for a top two open primary election to be conducted to select the candidates for the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General, of the House of Delegates or the Senate of Virginia, and of the United States House of Representatives or Senate. All candidates for the particular office, regardless of the candidate's political party affiliation, appear on a single ballot, and the two candidates receiving the highest and next highest number of
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HJR-541: Constitutional amendment; top two open primary election (first reference).
Sponsored by: Rep. Sam Rasoul
Left In Privileges And Elections on 02/08/2017