WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 774

Elections; absentee and provisional ballots, cure process, delayed effective date.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and 15 co-sponsors

HB 774 establishes procedures allowing Virginia voters to correct deficient absentee and provisional ballots, with subcommittee amendments addressing implementation scope and timelines.

Governor's recommendation received by House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 774

Legislative bill overview

HB 774 modifies Virginia's procedures for handling absentee and provisional ballots, specifically establishing or revising a "cure process" that allows voters to correct deficiencies in their ballots. The bill was referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections and recently received a subcommittee recommendation with proposed amendments, with a fiscal impact statement issued by the Department of Planning and Budget.

Why is this important

Ballot cure processes directly affect voter enfranchisement by determining whether votes with technical defects (such as missing signatures, incorrect dates, or identification issues) are counted or discarded. These procedures impact election administration costs, timeline pressures, and ultimately which votes are ultimately tallied in close elections. The subcommittee's 6-2 recommendation with amendments suggests substantive policy disagreements about how lenient or restrictive the cure process should be.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope of curable defects: Disagreement over which ballot errors should be correctable (signature mismatches, missing witness information, timing issues) versus which should result in ballot rejection
  • Timeline and notification requirements: Tensions between giving voters adequate time to cure ballots versus administrative constraints and certification deadlines, particularly in absentee voting scenarios
  • Administrative burden and cost: Concerns about implementation costs for election officials managing cure notifications and processes, reflected in the fiscal impact statement and subcommittee amendments

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.