# Virginia HB493: Absentee voting; ballots received, marked, and cast electronically through the Internet.

Virginia HB493, Absentee voting; ballots received, marked, and cast electronically through the Internet., is a 2027 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Patrick A. Hope (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2026-07-21 (Continued from last session) (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB493-2027
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB493
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2027 Regular Session
- Title: Absentee voting; ballots received, marked, and cast electronically through the Internet.
- Status: in committee
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-12
- Last action: 2026-07-21, Continued from last session
- Sponsor: Patrick A. Hope (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Election Administration
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Elections; absentee voting; accessibility; ballots received, marked, and cast electronically through the internet. Requires the Department of Elections to make available to all localities a tool to allow a voter with a visual impairment or print disability or a covered voter to receive, mark, and return his absentee ballot electronically through the internet. The bill makes the tool available through the internet in lieu of other currently available assistive technologies.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Patrick A. Hope (Democratic), House

## Actions (8)

- 2026-07-21: Continued from last session (House)
- 2026-02-13: Continued to 2027 in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2026-02-09: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2028 (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2026-02-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB493) (House)
- 2026-01-27: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-27: Assigned HPE sub: Election Administration (House)
- 2026-01-12: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House)
- 2026-01-12: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104715D (House)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2026-01-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231429.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231428.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228973.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228972.PDF)

## Related bills

- SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority; report. (in committee)
- HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements. (introduced)
- HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information. (introduced)
- SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset. (in committee)
- SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment. (in committee)
- SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion State Prison. (in committee)

## Sources
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231429.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231428.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228973.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228972.PDF)

## Related
- [SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority; report.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB844-2027)
- [HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of s…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1535-2027)
- [HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1534-2027)
- [SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB843-2027)
- [SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB842-2027)
- [SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion Sta…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB840-2027)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB493-2027 (as of 2026-10-11).