Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia HB972: An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-3711, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 24.2-401, 24.2-404, 24.2-408, 24.2-409, 24.2-410, 24.2-410.1, 24.2-427, 24.2-435, 24.2-444, 24.2-610, 24.2-611, 24.2-703.1, and 24.2-709 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 24.2-407.2, by adding in Chapter 4 of Title 24.2 an article numbered 2.1 and by adding in such article sections numbered 24.2-407.3 and 24.2-410.3 through 24.2-410.6, and by adding a section numbered 24.2-426.1; and to repeal §§ 24.2-404.3, 24.2-404.4, 24.2-410.2, 24.2-428, 24.2-428.1, and 24.2-428.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter registration; list maintenance activities; cancellation procedures; record matches; required identification information; data standards.

Status: Chaptered, May 14, 2026

Voter registration; list maintenance activities, cancellation procedures, required record matches. Requires certain, specified identification information to be included on the lists received by the Department of Elections (the Department) for list maintenance purposes and requires the Department, upon receiving any such list, to do an initial comparison of the information included on such list with the list of registered voters and to determine the confidence score for any match. The Department is required to transmit matches with a confidence score of at least 80 to the appropriate general registrars. The bill prohibits the use of voter data received from another state or jurisdiction or through a list comparison for list maintenance purposes when the data file does not include a unique identifier for each individual whose information is contained in the data file. The bill requires the Department to annually review all sources of data utilized for list maintenance activities for the purpose of determining the validity, completeness, accuracy, and reliability of the data received from each source, and to include the results of such review in its annual report to the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections regarding its list maintenance activities. The bill provides that the Department of Elections may only use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE Program) operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the sole purpose of individually verifying that voters listed in the Virginia voter registration system are United States citizens. The Department of Elections is prohibited from (i) using information received from the SAVE Program as the sole reason for rejecting a registration application, (ii) uploading lists of registered voters to the SAVE Program for verifying their citizenship status in bulk, or (iii) transferring any information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any subdivision thereof beyond the minimum information necessary. The bill requires the general registrars to send notice prior to cancelling a voter's registration regardless of the reason for cancellation. Lastly, the bill clarifies that when a voter's registration is cancelled, a cancellation record must be created, and that such records are public in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the National Voter Registration Act. The bill includes numerous technical amendments for organizational purposes. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates HB 966.