HB773 • 2026

Elections; absentee voting, cure process, delayed effective date.

An Act to amend and reenact § 24.2-709.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; absentee voting; cure process.

Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Thornton
Last action: 2026-04-22
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Elections; absentee voting, cure process, delayed effective date.

Elections; absentee voting; cure process.

What This Bill Does

Elections; absentee voting; cure process.
Removes the requirement that absentee ballots be received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election for the general registrar to implement the process of curing errors or failures in such absentee ballots.
The bill also moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election.
This bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB773G

2026-04-13 • Governor

Governor's Recommendation

Plain English: (HB773) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION 1.

(HB773) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION 1.
Line 47, enrolled, after on strike September 1, 2026 insert January 1, 2027

HB773ASC1

2026-02-24 • Committee

Privileges and Elections Amendment

Plain English: OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/24/2026 HB 773 PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS 1.

OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/24/2026 HB 773 PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS 1.
After line 50, engrossed insert 2.
That the provisions of this act shall become effective on September 1, 2026.

HB773AS1

2026-02-25 • Committee

Privileges and Elections Amendment

Plain English: 2/25/2026 (HB773) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS 1.

2/25/2026 (HB773) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS 1.
After line 50, engrossed insert 2.
That the provisions of this act shall become effective on September 1, 2026.

HB773EDOC

2026-03-02 • Senate

Senate Amendment

Plain English: 3/02/2026 (HB773) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS 1.

3/02/2026 (HB773) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS 1.
After line 50, engrossed insert 2.
That the provisions of this act shall become effective on September 1, 2026.

Bill History

2026-04-22 Governor
Governor's recommendation adopted
2026-04-22 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-04-22 Senate
Signed by President
2026-04-22 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 1069 (Effective 9/1/2026)
2026-04-22 House
Reenrolled
2026-04-22 House
Reenrolled bill text (HB773ER2)
2026-04-22 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1069)
2026-04-22 House
House concurred in Governor's recommendation (63-Y 36-N 0-A)
2026-04-22 Senate
Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-04-13 Governor
Governor's recommendation received by House
2026-03-14 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
2026-03-14 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-12 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-11 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-11 House
Enrolled
2026-03-11 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB773ER)
2026-03-11 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB773)
2026-03-04 House
Senate amendment agreed to by House (63-Y 33-N 0-A)
2026-03-02 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-02 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-02 Senate
Engrossed by Senate as amended
2026-03-02 Privileges and Elections
Privileges and Elections Amendment agreed to
2026-03-02 Senate
Passed Senate with amendment (20-Y 19-N 0-A)
2026-03-02 Senate
Passed Senate with amendment (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
2026-02-27 Senate
Read third time
2026-02-27 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-27 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-26 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-26 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-26 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-26 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-26 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-24 Privileges and Elections
Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment (8-Y 7-N)
2026-02-24 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-04 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-04 Privileges and Elections
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
2026-02-03 House
Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)
2026-02-02 House
Read second time and engrossed
2026-01-30 Privileges and Elections
Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 7-N)
2026-01-30 House
Read first time
2026-01-26 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB773)
2026-01-26 Election Administration
Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 2-N)
2026-01-25 Election Administration
Assigned HPE sub: Election Administration
2026-01-13 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105063D
2026-01-13 Privileges and Elections
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

Official Summary Text

Elections; absentee voting; cure process.
Removes the requirement that absentee ballots be received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election for the general registrar to implement the process of curing errors or failures in such absentee ballots. The bill also moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election. This bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend and reenact §
24.2-709.1
of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; absentee voting; cure process.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
24.2-709.1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
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 day immediately preceding the election but shall be mandatory beginning on the seventh 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
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. 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
The
registrar shall
promptly
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
Monday
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.
2. That the provisions of this act shall become effective on January 1, 2027.