# Virginia HB658: Elections; allows for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Virginia HB658, Elections; allows for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Joshua G. Cole (Democratic); status failed, last action 2024-11-18 (Left in Privileges and Elections) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB658-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB658 - State: Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Elections; allows for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. - Status: failed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2024-01-09 - Last action: 2024-11-18, Left in Privileges and Elections - Sponsor: Joshua G. Cole (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (0 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also clarifies requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election night, except that such results must clearly be identified as preliminary and based on the first rankings in a ranked choice voting election. The bill provides that final tabulation for an election for a local or constitutional office that is not shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted on the same day as other results are canvassed by the local electoral board and that final tabulation for and election for a local or constitutional office that is shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted at a centralized facility under the supervision of the Department of Elections. The bill specifies that ranking data is required to be made publicly available by the Department and requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also limits a risk-limiting audit of an election conducted using ranked choice voting to the first choice rankings reported on voting systems. Finally, the bill directs the Department to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joshua G. Cole (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2024-01-26 | House | Continued to 2025 in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2024-01-22 | House | Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | ## Actions (8) - 2024-11-18: Left in Privileges and Elections (House) - 2024-01-26: Continued to 2025 in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote) (House) - 2024-01-22: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 (Voice Vote) (House) - 2024-01-22: House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered (House) - 2024-01-22: Impact statement from DPB (HB658) (House) - 2024-01-19: Assigned P & E sub: Election Administration (House) - 2024-01-09: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House) - 2024-01-09: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104652D (House) ## Bill text - Introduced, 2024-01-15: [HTML](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB658) ## Related bills - HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted) - SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed) - HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed) - HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed) - SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed) - HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor) ## Sources - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB658) ## Related - [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025) - [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025) - [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025) - [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025) - [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025) - [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025) - [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-HB658-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).