Virginia 2027 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate

SB 350 — Absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls.

Last action — Continued from last session

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 13, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House of Delegates.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 30% · moderate confidence

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    1 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill allows earlier counting of absentee ballots on election day.

This bill permits election officers to start counting absentee ballots after noon on election day. It also requires registrars to begin processing absentee ballots 14 days before the election, instead of 7 days.

What this means for you
  • Workers: If you work on elections, this bill could impact how and when you count absentee ballots.
  • Families: {}
  • Consumers: As a voter, you may see faster results for absentee ballots due to earlier counting.

Summary

Elections; absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. Allows officers of election at a central absentee precinct to begin ascertaining and recording the number of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after noon on the day of the election. Under current law, absentee ballots that are counted by hand may be tallied, but not counted, at any time after noon on the day of the election, and no ballot totals for any absentee ballots shall be ascertained until after polls close. The bill also clarifies that vote totals for absentee ballots cast in person on voting systems cannot be determined until the day of the election. The bill also requires that general registrars begin processing absentee ballots on the fourteenth day prior to the day of the election. Under current law such processing is not required until the seventh day prior to the day of the election.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

144 added · 161 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Bill SB 350 primarily simplifies the text by removing unnecessary sections, specifically the reference to processing and counting ballots before the polls close. It retains the same voting hours and absentee voting procedures while focusing the bill on clearer rules for absentee voting. This change matters because it streamlines the legislation, making it more straightforward for voters and election officials to understand the absentee voting process in Virginia.

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+ 2027 SESSION + INTRODUCED + + + 26102138D I SENATE BILL NO.
+ 2027 SESSION + + SENATE SUBSTITUTE + + 26106975D SENATE BILL NO.
350 Offered January 14, 2026 N A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-603, 24.2-701.1, 24.2-709.1, and 24.2-712 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections;
350 FLOOR AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by Senator Roem on February 3, 2026) (Patron Prior to Substitute—Senator Roem) A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-603, 24.2-701.1, and 24.2-712 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections;
T ————— R Patrons—Roem, Suetterlein and Williams Graves O ————— D Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections ————— U Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
That §§ 24.2-603, 24.2-701.1, 24.2-709.1, and 24.2-712 of the Code of Virginia are amended and C reenacted as follows:
That §§ 24.2-603, 24.2-701.1, and 24.2-712 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
E § 24.2-603.
§ 24.2-603.
on the same day except as provided for central absentee voter precincts pursuant to subsection G H of § 24.2-712.
on the same day except as provided for central absentee voter precincts pursuant to S subsection G H of § 24.2-712.
At 6:45 p.m.
E At 6:45 p.m.
The officers of election shall list the names of all qualified voters in line before the polling place at 7:00 p.m.
The officers N of election shall list the names of all qualified voters in line before the polling place at 7:00 p.m.
§ 24.2-701.1.
A § 24.2-701.1.
A.
T A.
In the case of a special election, excluding for federal offices, if time is insufficient between the issuance of the writ calling for the special election and the date of the special election, absentee voting in person shall be available as soon as possible 24 after the issuance of the writ.
In the case of a special election, excluding for federal offices, if time is insufficient between the issuance of the writ calling for the special election and the date of the special election, absentee voting in person shall be available as soon as possible after the issuance of the writ.
0 Any registered voter offering to vote absentee in person shall provide his name and his residence address in the county or city in which he is offering to vote.
S Any registered voter offering to vote absentee in person shall provide his name and his residence address U in the county or city in which he is offering to vote.
Except as provided in subsection F, a registered voter voting by absentee ballot in person shall provide one of the forms of identification specified in subsection B of § 24.2-643.
Except as provided in subsection F, a registered voter voting by absentee ballot in person shall provide S one of the forms of identification specified in subsection B of § 24.2-643.
If he does not show one of the forms of identification specified in subsection B of § 24.2-643, he shall be allowed to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements pursuant to § 24.2-1016, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be.
If he does not show one of the T forms of identification specified in subsection B of § 24.2-643, he shall be allowed to vote after signing a I statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements pursuant to § 24.2-1016, that he is the named T registered voter he claims to be.
A voter who requires assistance in voting by reason of a physical disability or an inability to read or write, and who requests assistance pursuant to § 24.2-649, may be assisted in :
A voter who requires assistance in voting by reason of a physical disability or an inability to read or write, and who requests assistance pursuant to § 24.2-649, may be assisted in U preparation of this statement in accordance with that section.
35 preparation of this statement in accordance with that section.
The provisions of § 24.2-649 regarding voters T who are unable to sign shall be followed when assisting a voter in completing this statement.
The provisions of § 24.2-649 regarding voters 36 who are unable to sign shall be followed when assisting a voter in completing this statement.
A voter who :
A voter who 37 does not show one of the forms of identification specified in this subsection or does not sign this statement 38 shall be offered a provisional ballot under the provisions of § 24.2-653.
36 does not show one of the forms of identification specified in this subsection or does not sign this statementE 37 shall be offered a provisional ballot under the provisions of § 24.2-653.
The State Board shall provide 39 instructions to the general registrar for the handling and counting of such provisional ballots pursuant to § 24.2-653.01 and this section.
The State Board shall provide 38 instructions to the general registrar for the handling and counting of such provisional ballots pursuant to 39 § 24.2-653.01 and this section.
B.
40 B.
The procedures shall provide for absentee voting in person on voting systems that have been certified and are currently approved by the State Board.
The procedures B shall provide for absentee voting in person on voting systems that have been certified and are currently 3 approved by the State Board.
The procedures shall be applicable and uniformly applied by the Department to all localities using comparable voting systems.
The procedures shall be applicable and uniformly applied by the Department to 0 all localities using comparable voting systems.
No vote totals shall be determined until the day of the election, pursuant to § 24.2-712.
No vote totals shall be determined until the day of the electi1n, pursuant to § 24.2-712.
However, such requirement shall not apply when (i) voting systems that are being used pursuant to subsection C are located in the office of the general registrar or voter SB350 2 of 3 satellite office and (ii) the general registrar or a deputy registrar is present.
However, such requirement shall not apply when (i) voting systems that are being used pursuant to subsection C are located in the office of the general registrar or voter satellite office and (ii) the general registrar or a deputy registrar is present.
The Department shall include absentee ballots voted in person in its instructions for the preparation, maintenance, and reporting of ballots, pollbooks, records, and returns.
The Department shall include absentee ballots voted in person in its instructions for the preparation, SB350S1 2 of 3 maintenance, and reporting of ballots, pollbooks, records, and returns.
§ 24.2-709.1.
Processing returned absentee ballots before election day;
cure process.
A.
On receipt of an absentee ballot returned in person or by mail to the office of the general registrar or to a drop-off location before election day, the general registrar shall mark the date of receipt in the voter's record and shall examine the ballot envelope to verify completion of the required voter affirmation.
A voter affirmation statement shall not be deemed to be incomplete on the sole basis of the voter's failure to provide (i) his full name or his middle initial, as long as the voter provided his full first and last name, or (ii) the date, or any part of the date, including the year, on which he signed the statement.
B.
If the voter affirmation has been completed as required, the general registrar may open the sealed ballot envelope and insert the ballot in optical scan counting equipment or other secure ballot container without initiating any ballot count totals.
If a general registrar does not choose to do so, the sealed ballot envelope shall be deposited into a secure container provided for such purpose, in which it shall remain until the general registrar initiates the process of opening the sealed ballot envelopes deposited into the secure container and inserting such ballots into optical scan counting equipment without initiating any ballot count totals.
Such process shall be at the general registrar's discretion at any time prior to the seventh fourteenth day immediately preceding the election but shall be mandatory beginning on the seventh fourteenth day immediately preceding the election.
At least two officers of election, one representing each political party, shall be present during all hours when sealed ballot envelopes are opened as authorized in or required by this subsection.
No person present while sealed ballot envelopes are opened and ballots are inserted into counting equipment shall disclose any information concerning the ballots.
In the event that circumstances prevent a general registrar from complying with the provisions of this subsection, such failure shall not be grounds for contesting the election pursuant to Article 2 (§ 24.2-803 et seq.) of Chapter 8 and shall not invalidate the absentee ballots.
C.
For any absentee ballot received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election, if the general registrar finds during the examination of the ballot envelope that the required voter affirmation was not correctly or completely filled out or that a procedure required by § 24.2-707 was not properly followed, and such error or failure would render the ballot void by law, the general registrar shall enter into the voter's record in the voter registration system that the absentee ballot has an issue requiring correction in order for it to be counted.
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This information shall be included on any absentee voter applicant list provided pursuant to subsection C of § 24.2-710.
Within three days of such finding, the registrar shall notify the voter in writing or by email of the error or failure and shall provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue so his ballot may be counted.
The voter shall be entitled to make such necessary corrections before noon on the third day after the election, and his ballot shall then be counted pursuant to the procedures set forth in this chapter if he is found to be entitled to vote.
No absentee ballot needing correction shall be delivered to the officers of election at the appropriate precinct until the voter is provided the opportunity to make the necessary corrections pursuant to this subsection.
The general registrar may issue a new absentee ballot to the voter if necessary and shall preserve the first ballot with other spoiled ballots.
of 3 C.
C.
If any voter brings an unmarked ballot to the general registrar on or beIore the day of the election, he shall be allowed to vote it, and his ballot shall be delivered to the absentee voter precD.
If any voter brings an unmarked ballot to the general registrar on or before the day of the election, he shall be allowed to vote it, and his ballot shall be delivered to the absentee voter precinct.
D.
In the case of machine-readable ballots, the ballot containeR shall be opened and the absentee ballots shall be inserted in the counting ballot scanner machines prior to the closing of the polls in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Department of Elections, including procedures to preserve ballot secrecy, but no ballot count totals by the machines shall be transmitted outside of tDe central absentee voter precinct until after the closing of the polls.
In the case of machine-readable ballots, the ballot container shall be opened and the absentee ballots shall be inserted in the counting ballot scanner machines prior to the closing of the polls in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Department of Elections, including procedures to preserve ballot secrecy, but no ballot count totals by the machines shall be transmitted outside of the central absentee voter precinct until after the closing of the polls.
In the case of absentee ballots that are counted by hand, the E.
In the case of absentee ballots that are counted by hand, the officers of election shall may begin tallying such ballots at any time after noon on the day of the election in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Department of Elections, including procedures to preserve ballot secrecy.
The officers of election shall may begin tallying such to ascertain and record the number of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after nooC on the day of the election in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Department of Elections, E including procedures to preserve ballot secrecy.
No counts of such tallies shall be determined or transmitted outside of the central absentee voter precinct until after the closing of the polls In the case of absentee ballots that are counted by ballot scanner machine, the officers of election may begin to ascertain and record the number of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after 5:00 p.m.
No counts of such tallies shall be determined or transmitted outsNo vote totals shall be transmitted outside of the central absentee voter precinct until after the closing of the polls.
on the day of the election in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Department of Elections, including procedures to preserve ballot secrecy.
No vote totals shall be transmitted outside of the central absentee voter precinct until after the closing of the polls.
As soon as the polls are closed in the county or city, the officers of election at the central absentee voter precinct shall proceed promptly to ascertain and record the total vote given by all absentee ballots and report the results in the manner provided for counting and reporting ballots generally in Article 4 (§ 2S.2-643 et seq.) of Chapter 6.
As soon as the polls are closed in the county or city, the officers of election at the central absentee voter precinct shall proceed promptly to ascertain and record the total vote given by all absentee ballots and report the results in the manner provided for counting and reporting ballots generally in Article 4 (§ 24.2-643 et seq.) of Chapter 6.
B F.
F.
The electoral board or general registrar may provide that the officers of election for a centr5l election day subject to the following conditions:ll or a portion of the time that the precinct is open o0 1.
The electoral board or general registrar may provide that the officers of election for a central absentee voter precinct may be assigned to work all or a portion of the time that the precinct is open on election day subject to the following conditions:
1.
on the day of the election provided that the office of the general registrar will be open for the receipt of absentee ballots until the central absentee voter precinct is open and that the officers of election for the central absentee voter precinct obtain the absentee ballots returned to the general registrar's office for the purpose of counting the absentee ballots at the central absentee voter precinct and provided further that the central absentee voter precinct is the same location as the office of the general registrar.
on the day of the election provided that the office of the general registrar will be open for the receipt of absentee ballots until the central absentee voter precinct is open and that the officers of election for the central absentee voter precinct obtain the absentee ballots returned to the general registrar's office for the purpose of of 3 12counting the absentee ballots at the central absentee voter precinct and provided further that the central 12absentee voter precinct is the same location as the office of the general registrar.
S E A T E S U B T I T U T E S S 1
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Action History

  1. Continued from last session

  2. Continued to next session in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote)

  3. House committee offered

  4. Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

  5. Read first time

  6. Placed on Calendar

  7. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB350)

  8. Read third time and passed Senate (23-Y 17-N 0-A)

  9. Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)

  10. Senator Roem Substitute agreed to

  11. Reading of substitute waived (Voice Vote)

  12. Floor offered Senator Roem Substitute

  13. Read second time

  14. Passed by for the day

  15. Read second time

  16. Passed by for the day

  17. Read second time

  18. Read second time

  19. Passed by for the day

  20. Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

  21. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  22. Rules suspended

  23. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB350)

  24. Reported from Privileges and Elections (9-Y 5-N)

  25. Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

  26. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102138D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 145 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (145)

145 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 145 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 350 do?
Elections; absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. Allows officers of election at a central absentee precinct to begin ascertaining and recording the number of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after noon on the day of the election. Under current law, absentee ballots that are counted by hand may be tallied, but not counted, at any time after noon on the day of the election, and no ballot totals for any absentee ballots shall be ascertained until after polls close. The bill also clarifies that vote totals for absentee ballots cast in person on voting systems cannot be determined until the day of the election. The bill also requires that general registrars begin processing absentee ballots on the fourteenth day prior to the day of the election. Under current law such processing is not required until the seventh day prior to the day of the election.
Who sponsors SB 350?
SB 350 is sponsored by Angelia Williams Graves, David R. Suetterlein, and Danica A. Roem.
What is the current status of SB 350?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 13, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track SB 350?
Track SB 350 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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