# Virginia HB640: Elections; challenges to a voter or voter's registration, filing of petition, notice of appeal.

Virginia HB640, Elections; challenges to a voter or voter's registration, filing of petition, notice of appeal., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Paul E. Krizek (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-22 (Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB640-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB640
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Elections; challenges to a voter or voter's registration, filing of petition, notice of appeal.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-22, Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
- Sponsor: Paul E. Krizek (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 10 (237 yes, 124 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

Elections; challenges to a voter or voter's registration. Eliminates the process by which any voter could challenge, in a polling place on the day of an election, the right of any other voter to cast a ballot. The bill also eliminates the process by which any three voters could challenge a voter's registration before the general registrar; such challenges may still be made by filing a petition with the circuit court of the county or city where the voter is registered.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Less paperwork for voters left off lists: benefit, low. Voters wrongly left off the pollbook no longer need to state that their registration is not subject to cancellation to vote provisionally. They must still sign a statement confirming they are qualified, registered in the precinct, and live there. The registrar must tell an election officer that the…
- Signed absentee ballots lose challenge protection: cost, low. Registered voters' absentee ballots lose a protection against challenges. Properly completing and signing the required statement no longer shields the ballot from challenges under the affected challenge rule.
- Voter registration challenges get faster court review: mixed, low. Three qualified voters registered in a Virginia city or county can ask its circuit court to challenge someone's registration there. A challenge cannot rest only on the person moving out of the precinct. The challenged voter generally gets 15 days' notice, unless the court orders otherwise. Courts m…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Paul E. Krizek (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-22 | House | House concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 64 | 36 |   |
| 2026-04-22 | Senate | Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 21 | 18 |   |
| 2026-03-10 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 21 | 19 |   |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Reported from Privileges and Elections | pass | 8 | 7 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 63 | 35 |   |
| 2026-01-30 | House | Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 6 | 2 |   |

## Actions (41)

- 2026-04-22: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: House concurred in Governor's recommendation (64-Y 36-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-04-22: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1064) (Governor)
- 2026-04-22: Reenrolled bill text (HB640ER2) (House)
- 2026-04-22: Reenrolled (House)
- 2026-04-22: Approved by Governor-Chapter 1064 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-04-22: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-04-22: Governor's recommendation adopted (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Governor's recommendation received by House (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB640) (House)
- 2026-03-31: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-31: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB640ER) (House)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 7-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB640) (House)
- 2026-02-04: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-03: Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-02: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-02: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-02: Read second time (House)
- 2026-01-30: Read first time (House)
- 2026-01-30: Committee substitute printed 26106442D-H1 (House)
- 2026-01-30: House committee offered (House)
- 2026-01-30: Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-01-28: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-28: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-01-26: Assigned HPE sub: Voting Rights (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101443D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225345.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225344.PDF)
- Reenrolled, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219854.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219853.PDF)
- Gov Recommendation, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219516.HTML)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210827.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210826.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103926.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098857.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103925.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098856.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085292.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085291.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225345.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225344.PDF)
- [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219854.HTML)
- [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219853.PDF)
- [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219516.HTML)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210827.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210826.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103926.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098857.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103925.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098856.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085292.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085291.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB640-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).