# Virginia SB350: Absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. Virginia SB350, Absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Danica A. Roem (Democratic); status passed senate, last action 2026-02-27 (Continued to 2027 in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB350-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB350 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. - Status: passed senate - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-02-27, Continued to 2027 in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote) - Sponsor: Danica A. Roem (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Privileges and Elections - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 7 (72 yes, 22 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Elections; absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. Allows officers of election at a central absentee precinct to begin ascertaining and recording the number of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after noon on the day of the election. Under current law, absentee ballots that are counted by hand may be tallied, but not counted, at any time after noon on the day of the election, and no ballot totals for any absentee ballots shall be ascertained until after polls close. The bill also clarifies that vote totals for absentee ballots cast in person on voting systems cannot be determined until the day of the election. The bill also requires that general registrars begin processing absentee ballots on the fourteenth day prior to the day of the election. Under current law such processing is not required until the seventh day prior to the day of the election. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Danica A. Roem (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-27 | House | Continued to 2027 in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-04 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 23 | 17 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Senator Roem Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-29 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-29 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-01-27 | Senate | Reported from Privileges and Elections | pass | 9 | 5 | | ## Actions (25) - 2026-02-27: Continued to 2027 in Privileges and Elections (Voice Vote) (House) - 2026-02-26: House committee offered (House) - 2026-02-09: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House) - 2026-02-09: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-09: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-02-04: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB350) (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Read third time and passed Senate (23-Y 17-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Senator Roem Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Floor Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Reading of substitute waived (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-02-02: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2026-02-02: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB350) (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Reported from Privileges and Elections (9-Y 5-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102138D (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment, 2026-02-26: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185362.HTML) - Substitute, 2026-02-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108791.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108790.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089727.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089726.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 - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185362.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108791.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108790.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089727.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089726.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-SB350-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).