An Act to amend and reenact § 24.2-1007 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; offenses; soliciting or accepting bribe to influence or procure voter registration; penalty.
HB113 amends Virginia’s election bribery statute, § 24.2-1007, to prohibit a person from soliciting or accepting money or anything of value not only to influence a vote, but also in exchange for the decision to register or not register to vote. The bill keeps the existing misdemeanor penalty, making a violation a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The measure also clarifies several exceptions so the prohibition does not apply to transportation to or from a voting or voter registration location, de minimis non-cash items, granting employees time off to vote or register, or paying wages for a voter registration drive. It further confirms that the statute applies to all elections, including party nomination processes and delegate selection for conventions and meetings.
The bill broadens and clarifies Virginia election law by expressly covering bribery or inducements tied to voter registration decisions, not just voting itself. It leaves the penalty unchanged but expands the conduct that can trigger criminal liability under § 24.2-1007, while preserving common election-related practices and voter outreach activities through enumerated exceptions. The affected parties include voters, political campaigns, parties, employers, and organizations conducting voter registration drives.
No committee transcript or recorded vote information was provided, so the available record does not show debate or partisan division. Based on the enacted text, the bill appears to have been treated as a clarifying and anti-corruption election measure rather than a controversial policy change. The inclusion of explicit exceptions suggests an effort to preserve routine civic and workplace practices while tightening the bribery prohibition.
The main potential point of contention is the expanded reach of the statute to decisions about whether to register to vote, which could raise concerns about how broadly inducements are interpreted in voter outreach or community assistance settings. At the same time, the bill’s exceptions indicate an effort to limit that concern by excluding transportation, nominal non-cash items, paid time off, and wages for registration drives. Any disagreement would likely center on the boundary between unlawful inducement and permissible voter engagement activities.