# Virginia SB6: Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote. Virginia SB6, Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Mamie E. Locke (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-02-11 (Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB6)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB6-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB6 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-11-17 - Last action: 2026-02-11, Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB6) - Sponsor: Mamie E. Locke (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 8 (212 yes, 99 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that would provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. This bill is identical to HB 963. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Virginia voters decide constitutional voting protections: benefit, medium. The law submits a constitutional amendment establishing a fundamental right to vote for people who meet Virginia’s voter qualifications. The amendment takes effect January 1, 2027, only with majority voter approval. It protects that right from limits imposed by law, subject to constitutional voter… - Court rulings govern voting capacity limits: mixed, medium. The law submits an amendment replacing the mental-incompetence voting rule with a test focused on understanding the act of voting. It takes effect January 1, 2027, only with majority voter approval. A person cannot vote while a court ruling establishes that they lack the capacity to understand voti… - Felony voting ban ends upon release: mixed, medium. The law submits an amendment changing voting rights for people convicted of felonies. It takes effect January 1, 2027, only with majority voter approval. The amendment bars voting while a person is incarcerated for a felony conviction. Upon release from that incarceration, all political rights, inc… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mamie E. Locke (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-02 | House | Passed House | pass | 65 | 34 | | | 2026-02-02 | House | Passed House | pass | 64 | 34 | | | 2026-01-30 | House | Reported from Privileges and Elections | pass | 15 | 7 | | | 2026-01-26 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 21 | 17 | | | 2026-01-23 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-22 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-01-22 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-20 | Senate | Reported from Privileges and Elections | pass | 8 | 7 | | ## Actions (29) - 2026-02-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB6) (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0005) (Governor) - 2026-02-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0005) (Governor) - 2026-02-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 5 (effective July 1, 2026) (Governor) - 2026-02-04: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB6ER) (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., February 11, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-02-04: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on February 04, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-02-02: Passed House (65-Y 34-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-02: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House (House) - 2026-02-02: Passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-02: Read third time (House) - 2026-01-30: Read second time (House) - 2026-01-30: Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 7-N) (House) - 2026-01-29: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House) - 2026-01-29: Read first time (House) - 2026-01-29: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-01-26: Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 17-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Passed Senate (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Read first time (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 7-N) (Senate) - 2025-11-17: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (Senate) - 2025-11-17: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100404D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-02-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169233.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169232.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108335.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108334.PDF) - Introduced, 2025-11-17: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081246.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081245.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/1169233.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169232.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108335.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108334.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081246.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081245.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-SB6-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).