A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-404, 24.2-411.3, 24.2-452, 24.2-612, 24.2-643, 24.2-653, 24.2-653.01, 24.2-700, 24.2-701, 24.2-701.1, 24.2-702.1, 24.2-703.1, 24.2-703.2, 24.2-706, 24.2-709, and 24.2-1004 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; identification containing a photograph required and excuse required to vote absentee.
HB1131 would substantially revise Virginia election law to require photo identification for in-person voting and to narrow who may vote absentee by tying absentee voting to specified excuses. The bill amends numerous sections of Title 24.2 to make a voter photo ID card available through the Department of Elections for voters who lack an accepted ID, while also requiring voters at the polls to present one of a list of photo IDs or, if they do not have one, to sign a sworn statement or cast a provisional ballot. It also adds or reinforces procedures for first-time federal voters who must show identification under federal law.
The bill also changes absentee voting rules. It preserves absentee voting for categories such as military and overseas voters, students, people with disabilities or illness, caregivers, first responders, religious obligations, and certain workers, but it removes the general ability for any registered voter to vote absentee without an excuse. The bill updates related procedures for absentee applications, in-person absentee voting, federal write-in absentee ballots, replacement ballots, ballot return deadlines, and the handling of provisional ballots and voter registration records.
HB1131 would amend a broad set of election statutes in the Code of Virginia governing voter registration, DMV-based registration, voter identification, provisional voting, absentee voting, ballot return, and election administration. Its practical effect would be to impose a photo-ID requirement for in-person voting, expand the use of provisional ballots when ID is not presented, and limit absentee voting to voters who meet one of the listed statutory excuses rather than allowing no-excuse absentee voting. It would also require the Department of Elections and local registrars to implement new procedures for issuing free voter photo ID cards and for processing absentee and provisional ballots under the revised rules.
Based on the bill’s content and its committee outcome, the measure appears to have faced an unfavorable reception. It was left in the House Committee on Privileges and Elections, indicating it did not advance. The bill’s structure suggests support from proponents of stricter voter identification and more restrictive absentee voting rules, but the lack of movement and the breadth of the changes imply that the proposal was not broadly embraced in committee.
The main points of contention are likely to be the photo-ID mandate and the elimination of no-excuse absentee voting. Supporters would view the bill as strengthening election integrity, standardizing identification requirements, and tightening absentee voting eligibility. Opponents would likely argue that the bill creates barriers to voting, especially for voters without acceptable photo identification, voters who rely on absentee voting for convenience, and voters who may need to use provisional ballots. The bill also raises administrative concerns for local registrars and the Department of Elections, which would need to issue free voter photo IDs, manage new verification procedures, and process a larger number of provisional ballots.