A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-604, 24.2-671, and 24.2-802.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; polling places; prohibited activities; acts in furtherance of federal immigration laws.
HB1442 amends Virginia election law to add a new prohibition on engaging in acts “for the purpose or in furtherance of enforcement of federal immigration laws” within 40 feet of polling places, local electoral board meeting locations during vote canvassing, and recount locations. It also keeps existing restrictions on electioneering, voter interference, and firearm possession in those protected areas, while preserving exceptions for certain law-enforcement officers, retired law-enforcement officers, private property owners, and licensed armed security officers. The bill makes violations of the polling-place and ballot-counting restrictions a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The bill also revises procedures for electoral boards and recounts, including clarifying when boards meet to ascertain results, how write-in votes are handled, public posting of changes to unofficial results, and the presence of party and candidate representatives during result tabulation. In recount proceedings, it directs courts to establish security measures that include the same 40-foot restrictions on immigration-enforcement activity and firearms around recount sites, while preserving the court’s authority to supervise recounts and set procedures to ensure accurate counting.
HB1442 would amend three sections of Title 24.2 of the Code of Virginia governing polling-place conduct, local canvassing of election results, and judicial recount procedures. Its practical effect is to expand the list of prohibited activities in election-related protected zones by expressly barring immigration-enforcement activity near polling places, electoral board meetings, and recount sites, and to reinforce firearm restrictions in those areas with specified exceptions. It also affects election administration by codifying additional notice, reporting, and observer provisions for result certification and recounts.
The available context shows no recorded committee debate or roll-call vote, so there is no direct evidence of broad support or opposition in the materials provided. The bill was later incorporated into HB650, suggesting it may have been folded into a related measure rather than advancing independently. Based on the text, the bill appears designed to protect election spaces from outside enforcement activity and to maintain orderly election administration, which may appeal to proponents of voter access and election integrity.
The main point of contention is the new prohibition on acts in furtherance of federal immigration laws near election-related locations. Supporters would likely view this as protecting voters and election workers from intimidation or disruption, while opponents may see it as limiting law-enforcement activity or creating ambiguity about what conduct counts as “in furtherance” of immigration enforcement. The firearm restrictions are also potentially sensitive, though the bill preserves several exceptions for law enforcement, retired officers, private property owners, and licensed armed security personnel.