Virginia 2027 Regular Session Status: In Committee

HB 71 — Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices, days and hours of operation.

Last action — Continued from last session

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

This bill is in committee in the House of Delegates. Introduced December 31, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House of Delegates.

Prognosis

Stalled 24% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 6 sponsors

    1 primary, 5 co-sponsors signed on.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

This bill allows counties or cities to set hours for in-person absentee voting at satellite offices.

The legislation enables local governments to determine the dates and hours for absentee voting at satellite locations. They must notify the general registrar two weeks before implementing any changes.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This bill may affect workers by potentially expanding access to vote absentee with more flexible locations and hours.

Summary

Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices; days and hours of operation. Authorizes the governing body of any county or city establishing voter satellite offices for absentee voting in person to prescribe, by ordinance, the dates and hours of operation for such offices. The bill requires the governing body to provide notice to the general registrar of the county or city at least two weeks prior to the enactment of any such ordinance.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

29 added · 32 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendments to HB 71 clarify how local governments in Virginia can set up voter satellite offices for absentee voting. The new version specifies that these offices can have greater flexibility in their days and hours of operation, which could make it easier for voters to access absentee voting. Additionally, the requirement for public notice about changes to these offices has been updated to ensure transparency, making sure the community stays informed ahead of elections. This change is important because it aims to enhance voter accessibility and ensure that absentee voting is conducted smoothly and transparently.

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Latest
+ 2027 SESSION + INTRODUCED + + + 26100370D I HOUSE BILL NO.
OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 1/29/2026 + + + + + + + + HOUSE BILL NO.
71 Offered January 14, 2026 N A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-701.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting in person;
71 + + AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE + + (Proposed by the House Committee on Privileges and Elections + on January 30, 2029) + + (Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Reaser) + A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-701.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting in person;
T R ————— Patrons—Reaser;
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
Senators:
Bagby, Boysko, Favola, Marsden and Salim O ————— Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections D ————— U Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
C § 24.2-701.2.
§ 24.2-701.2.
E A.
A.
The governing body of any county or city may establish, by ordinance, voter satellite offices to be useD in the locality for absentee voting in person.
The governing body of any county or city may establish, by ordinance, voter satellite offices to be used in the locality for absentee voting in person.
The governing body may establish as many offices as it deems necessary and may prescribe, by ordinance, an increase in the dates and hours of operation for such offices.
The governing body may establish as many offices as it deems necessary and may prescribe, by ordinance, the dates and hours of operation for such offices, but any such ordinance adopted shall not provide for less than what is already required by § 24.2-701.1.
Such location shall be deemed the equivalent of the office of the general registrar for the purposes of completing the H application for an absentee ballot in person pursuant to §§ 24.2-701 and 24.2-706.
Such location shall be deemed the equivalent of the office of the general registrar for the purposes of completing the application for an absentee ballot in person pursuant to §§ 24.2-701 and 24.2-706.
Any such location shall B have adequate facilities for the protection of all elections materials produced in the process of absentee vot7ng in person, the voted and unvoted absentee ballots, and any voting systems in use at the location.
Any such location shall have adequate facilities for the protection of all elections materials produced in the process of absentee voting in person, the voted and unvoted absentee ballots, and any voting systems in use at the location.
1 C.
C.
The governing body of each county, city, and town shall provide funds to enable the general registrar to provide adequate facilities at each voter satellite office for the conduct of elections.
The governing body of each county, city, and town shall provide funds to enable the general registrar DRAFT OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 1/29/2026 to provide adequate facilities at each voter satellite office for the conduct of elections.
Not later than 55 days prior to any election, the general registrar shall post notice of all voter satellite office locations in the locality and the dates and hours of operation of each location in the office of the 35 general registrar and on the official website for the county or city.
Not later than 55 days prior to any election, the general registrar shall post notice of all voter satellite office locations in the locality and the dates and hours of operation of each location in the office of the general registrar and on the official website for the county or city.
Such notice shall remain in the office of 36 the general registrar and on the official website for the county or city for the duration of the period during / 37 which absentee voting in person is available.
Such notice shall remain in the office of the general registrar and on the official website for the county or city for the duration of the period during which absentee voting in person is available.
If the county or city does not have an official website, such 38 notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city at least once prior to the 39 election but not later than 55 days prior to such election.
If the county or city does not have an official website, such notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city at least once prior to the election but not later than 55 days prior to such election.
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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. House committee offered

  5. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 2-N)

  6. House subcommittee offered

  7. House subcommittee offered

  8. Assigned HPE sub: Election Administration

  9. House committee offered

  10. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB71)

  11. Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

  12. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100370D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 5 co-sponsors · 142 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (5)

Not signed on (142)

142 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 142 →

"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 HB 71 do?
Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices; days and hours of operation. Authorizes the governing body of any county or city establishing voter satellite offices for absentee voting in person to prescribe, by ordinance, the dates and hours of operation for such offices. The bill requires the governing body to provide notice to the general registrar of the county or city at least two weeks prior to the enactment of any such ordinance.
Who sponsors HB 71?
HB 71 is sponsored by Saddam Azlan Salim, David W. Marsden, Barbara A. Favola, Jennifer B. Boysko, Lamont Bagby, and Atoosa R. Reaser.
What is the current status of HB 71?
This bill is in committee in the House of Delegates. Introduced December 31, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 71?
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