A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-103.2, 24.2-704, and 24.2-706 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; absentee voting; accessibility; ballots received, marked, and returned electronically through the internet.
HB493 would expand Virginia’s accessible absentee voting system by requiring the Department of Elections to make available to localities a tool that allows certain voters to receive, mark, and return absentee ballots electronically through the internet. The tool is aimed at voters with visual impairments, print disabilities, and covered voters under Virginia law, and it must be compatible with screen reader assistive technology. It would also allow voters to complete required forms and provide proof of identity electronically, while the Department would be responsible for ensuring the tool’s accessibility and issuing instructions for its use and for processing and counting ballots cast with it.
The bill also adds an electronic voter affirmation that mirrors existing absentee ballot certification language, including statements about legal residence, receipt of the ballot, marking the ballot without unauthorized assistance, and not voting elsewhere. The form would include a signature line and the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. In practical terms, the bill would amend §§ 24.2-103.2, 24.2-704, and 24.2-706 of the Code of Virginia to formalize internet-based ballot marking and return for eligible absentee voters and to integrate that process into election administration procedures.
HB493 would change Virginia election law by expanding the Department of Elections’ duties regarding accessible absentee voting and by authorizing an internet-based system for eligible voters to receive, mark, and return ballots electronically. It would affect the administration of absentee voting, ballot certification, identity verification, and the handling and counting of electronically returned ballots, primarily impacting voters with disabilities and covered overseas or military voters, as well as local election officials who must implement the system.
The available legislative history suggests the bill was treated cautiously and did not advance, as it was continued to the next session in the House Privileges and Elections Committee by voice vote. With no recorded floor debate or committee transcript provided, there is no detailed public record here of strong support or opposition, but the procedural outcome indicates the measure did not receive enough momentum for immediate passage. The bill’s focus on accessibility likely generated some interest, but the lack of advancement suggests unresolved concerns or insufficient consensus.
The main points of contention likely center on the security, integrity, and administrative complexity of allowing ballots to be marked and returned over the internet, even though the bill is framed as an accessibility measure. Potential concerns include verifying voter identity, protecting ballot secrecy, preventing fraud, and ensuring that electronically returned ballots are properly processed and counted. Supporters would be expected to emphasize access for voters with disabilities and covered voters, while skeptics would likely focus on election security and implementation risks.