HB 968 VA

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Became Law

Election results; counting machine-readable ballots; processing absentee ballots. Requires ballot scanner machines to be used to count machine-readable ballots and prohibits such ballots from being counted by hand unless (i) the ballot scanner machine is inoperative, (ii) there is no other available scanner, and (iii) it would be unreasonable to wait for (a) the inoperative ballot scanner to be made operative or (b) an operative ballot scanner machine to be delivered to the polling place rather than hand counting the ballots. "Ballot scanner machine" and "machine-readable ballot" are defined terms under current law. The bill also provides that if, in the processing and counting of provisional and absentee ballots, any machine-readable ballot is damaged or defective, a team of election officials representing both parties shall make a true duplicate copy of such damaged ballot as a substitute for such damaged ballot. This bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.

• Marcia S. "Cia" Price Democratic · primary

1. Jan 13, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101436D · lower
2. Jan 13, 2026 Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections · lower
3. Jan 25, 2026 Assigned HPE sub: Election Administration · lower
4. Jan 26, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 2-N) · lower
5. Jan 27, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB968) · lower
6. Jan 30, 2026 House committee offered · lower
7. Jan 30, 2026 Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (16-Y 6-N) · lower
8. Jan 30, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26106669D-H1 · lower
9. Jan 30, 2026 Read first time · lower
10. Feb 2, 2026 Read second time · lower
11. Feb 2, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
12. Feb 2, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
13. Feb 3, 2026 Read third time and passed House (65-Y 33-N 0-A) · lower
14. Feb 4, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
15. Feb 4, 2026 Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections · upper
16. Feb 6, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB968) · lower
17. Feb 24, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
18. Feb 24, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
19. Feb 24, 2026 Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (8-Y 7-N) · upper
20. Feb 25, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
21. Feb 25, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107343D-S1 · upper
22. Feb 26, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
23. Feb 26, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
24. Feb 26, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
25. Feb 26, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB968) · lower
26. Feb 27, 2026 Read third time · upper
27. Feb 27, 2026 Passed by for the day · upper
28. Mar 2, 2026 Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to · upper
29. Mar 2, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
30. Mar 2, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
31. Mar 4, 2026 Senate substitute agreed to by House (63-Y 32-N 0-A) · lower
32. Mar 11, 2026 Enrolled · lower
33. Mar 11, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB968ER) · lower
34. Mar 11, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB968) · lower
35. Mar 11, 2026 Signed by President · upper
36. Mar 12, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
37. Mar 14, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 · lower
38. Mar 14, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
39. Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 718 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · PDF
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · HTML
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · PDF
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · HTML
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · PDF
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · HTML
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · PDF
• Privileges and Elections Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML