# Virginia SB940: Elections; candidates for office, challenges to candidate qualifications.

Virginia SB940, Elections; candidates for office, challenges to candidate qualifications., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Scott A. Surovell (Democratic); status to governor, last action 2025-05-02 (Vetoed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB940-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB940
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Elections; candidates for office, challenges to candidate qualifications.
- Status: to governor
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-06
- Last action: 2025-05-02, Vetoed by Governor
- Sponsor: Scott A. Surovell (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 9 (312 yes, 27 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Elections; candidates for office; challenges to candidate qualifications. Requires any legal action relating to a person's eligibility to appear on the ballot on the basis that such person did not meet all qualifications or fulfill all requirements for candidacy to be filed in a circuit court and served on all parties at least (i) 90 days before the date of a general election, (ii) 65 days before the date of a primary election, (iii) 70 days before the date of a special election held on the same date as the general election, or (iv) for any special election held at a time other than a general election (a) at least 55 days before the date of the special election or (b) within 10 days of any writ of election or order calling a special election to be held less than 60 days after the issuance of the writ or order. The bill specifies that any such legal action will be given precedence on the docket and be decided by the court no later than 10 days before the date on which ballots for that election are made available for absentee voting. The bill also specifies that candidates who are nominated at a primary election cannot be later challenged on the basis of facts that were present prior to the primary election and could have been raised in a challenge to such candidate's eligibility for the primary ballot.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Scott A. Surovell (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-02 | Senate | Senate rejected Governor's recommendation | fail | 17 | 23 |   |
| 2025-02-20 | Senate | House Amendment agreed to by Senate | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-19 | House | Passed House with amendment | pass | 94 | 2 |   |
| 2025-02-14 | House | Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment(s) | pass | 20 | 2 |   |
| 2025-02-10 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) | pass | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-01-31 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-31 | Senate | Passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-30 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-01-28 | Senate | Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 |   |

## Actions (41)

- 2025-05-02: Vetoed by Governor (Governor)
- 2025-04-02: Senate rejected Governor's recommendation (17-Y 23-N) (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 2, 2025 (Governor)
- 2025-04-02: Communicated to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-03-24: Governor's substitute printed (SB940S2) (Senate)
- 2025-03-24: Governor's recommendation received by Senate (Governor)
- 2025-03-11: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor)
- 2025-03-11: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 (Senate)
- 2025-03-10: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB940) (Senate)
- 2025-03-10: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB940ER) (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-02-20: House Amendment agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Passed House with amendment (94-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2025-02-19: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2025-02-19: Privileges and Elections Amendment agreed to (House)
- 2025-02-19: Read third time (House)
- 2025-02-18: Read second time (House)
- 2025-02-14: Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment(s) (20-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2025-02-10: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2025-02-09: Assigned PE sub: Election Administration (House)
- 2025-02-06: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House)
- 2025-02-06: Read first time (House)
- 2025-02-06: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2025-01-31: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB940) (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute-SB940S1 (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Read second time (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Reading of substitute waived (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: Passed by temporarily (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 1-A) (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2025-01-28: Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-01-28: Committee substitute printed 25105877D-S1 (Senate)
- 2025-01-06: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (Senate)
- 2025-01-06: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25104113D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Veto Explanation, 2025-05-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1080117.HTML)
- Substitute, 2025-03-25: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074729.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074728.PDF)
- Gov Recommendation, 2025-03-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073745.HTML)
- Enrolled, 2025-03-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068529.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068528.PDF)
- Amendment, 2025-02-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1061555.HTML)
- Amendment, 2025-02-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047567.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1053839.HTML)
- Amendment, 2025-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047570.HTML)
- Substitute, 2025-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031891.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031890.PDF)
- Substitute, 2025-01-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1025335.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1025334.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-01-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013454.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013453.PDF)

## 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
- [Veto Explanation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1080117.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074729.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074728.PDF)
- [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073745.HTML)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068529.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068528.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1061555.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047567.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1053839.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047570.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031891.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031890.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1025335.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1025334.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013454.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013453.PDF)

## 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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB940-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).