Absentee ballots; electronic transmission by general registrars. (SB137)

Introduced By

Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) with support from co-patrons Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), and Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Absentee ballots; electronic transmission by general registrars. Provides that when a voter who is eligible to request to receive certain absentee voting materials, including the absentee ballot, by electronic transmission so requests, the email address or fax number used by the general registrars to send such materials shall be the official email address or fax number of the office of the general registrar. The bill does not provide for the return by electronic means of a voted absentee ballot. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
12/29/2015Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/16 16101327D
12/29/2015Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/14/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB137)
01/26/2016Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment (13-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/28/2016Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/29/2016Read second time
01/29/2016Reading of amendment waived
01/29/2016Committee amendment agreed to
01/29/2016Engrossed by Senate as amended SB137E
01/29/2016Printed as engrossed 16101327D-E
02/01/2016Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/01/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB137E)
02/03/2016Placed on Calendar
02/03/2016Read first time
02/03/2016Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/08/2016Assigned P & E sub: Elections
02/16/2016Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 0-N)
02/26/2016Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment (22-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/29/2016Read second time
03/01/2016Read third time
03/01/2016Committee amendment agreed to
03/01/2016Engrossed by House as amended
03/01/2016Passed House with amendment BLOCK VOTE (93-Y 0-N)
03/01/2016VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (93-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2016House amendment agreed to by Senate (36-Y 3-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2016Reconsideration of House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2016House amendment agreed to by Senate (38-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
03/07/2016Enrolled
03/07/2016Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB137ER)
03/07/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB137ER)
03/07/2016Signed by Speaker
03/10/2016Signed by President
03/11/2016G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, Monday, April 11, 2016
03/11/2016Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 3/11/16
03/11/2016G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, Sunday, April 10, 2016
03/23/2016G Approved by Governor-Chapter 463 (effective 7/1/16)
03/23/2016G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0463)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 3 clips in all, totaling 3 minutes.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.

HOUSE AMENDMENT AND SPEAKING TO THE MOTION. THE SENATOR HAS THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MEMBERS OF THE BODY, THIS BILL, SENATE BILL 7, IS REGARDING PROVIDING COUNSELORS, ATTORNEYS TO THOSE PARENTS WHO ARE DIDN'T GI INTELLIGENT WHO MAY BE FACING THEIR CHILDREN GOING INTO FOSTER CARE. WHAT THE BILL ORIGINALLY DID WAS TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF COURT-APPOINTED COUNSEL AT --
THE SENATOR FROM JAMES CITY MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS JUST COUNTY. BEING RECONSIDERED SO THAT EVERYONE MAY VOTE. THANK YOU, SENATOR. I THINK HER MOTION IS GOOD, SENATOR, WE'RE GOOD TO GO. YES, MA'AM. THE QUESTION IS SHALL THE SENATE CONCUR WITH THE HOUSE AMENDMENT ON SENATE BILL 137. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE, THOSE OPPOSED NO. ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL. AYES 38, NOS ONE. AYES 38, NOS ONE. THE SENATE CONCURS WITH THE HOUSE AMENDMENT.

Duplicate Bills

The following bills are identical to this one: HB235 and HB456.

Comments

Waldo Jaquith writes:

I support this in principle, but I've got to point out that the state of the official email addresses for registrars is grim. Here's a list of every registrar in Virginia and their email address. Note there are a lot of addresses like [email protected] (Madison County) and [email protected] (Norton City). These are not reliable addresses. There's not even an official record of registrar email addresses. The SBE struggles to keep up.

Basically, this bill assumes the existence of infrastructure that just doesn't exist.