An Act to amend and reenact § 24.2-427 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter registration; cancellation of registration; sources of data.
Summary
HB111 amends Virginia’s voter-registration cancellation statute, § 24.2-427, to tighten and clarify when a general registrar may remove a voter from the rolls and what sources of data may be used. The bill preserves existing grounds for cancellation, including a voter’s written request, death, felony conviction, adjudication of incapacity, and evidence that a voter has moved or registered elsewhere. It also requires notice to affected voters in several circumstances, including notice by mail and email when available, and gives certain voters an opportunity to respond before cancellation, such as persons reported as non-citizens through DMV or SAVE data.
The measure further limits cancellation based on outside data by providing that, except for a voter’s written request or a certified/authenticated death certificate, a registrar may not cancel a registration based on data or reports from sources other than the Department of Elections or a state agency approved by the State Board of Elections. It also directs registrars to process felony-conviction lists within a specified pre-election window, report suspected false statements for prosecution, and imposes special protections for military voters, overseas voters, and certain spouses and dependents so they are not improperly removed and may be reinstated if they vote within four years after cancellation.
Impact
HB111 changes the administration of Virginia voter-registration records by narrowing the permissible sources of information for cancellation and adding notice requirements before or after cancellation in several categories. It affects § 24.2-427 of the Code of Virginia and interacts with related election-law provisions governing citizenship verification, felony disenfranchisement, address changes, military and overseas voting, and voter reinstatement. In practical terms, the bill would make registrars more dependent on approved state data sources and more constrained in using outside information to purge registrations.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been politically divisive but ultimately successful in the legislature, passing both chambers by relatively close margins after committee consideration and substitute amendments. The House and Senate votes suggest support from a majority but meaningful opposition, consistent with a bill touching on election administration and voter-roll maintenance. The Governor later vetoed the measure, indicating that the bill remained controversial at the executive level as well.
Contention
The main points of contention likely centered on the balance between preventing inaccurate or improper voter-roll cancellations and preserving the ability of election officials to maintain up-to-date registration records. Supporters likely viewed the bill as a safeguard against erroneous purges by restricting reliance on non-approved data and requiring notice to voters, while opponents likely worried it could make voter-roll maintenance harder or delay removal of ineligible voters. Additional sensitivity surrounds the treatment of citizenship checks, felony-based cancellations, and protections for military and overseas voters, all of which are common flashpoints in election-law debates.