Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote.
Summary
Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.
Bill status
passed both
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
Jan 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Governor
Introduced Nov 17, 2025
Last action Mar 31, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Enrolled
·
3 edits
·
Mar 31, 2026
MINOR
The bill text was converted from a draft introduction to an enrolled version, indicating it has been formally approved by both the House and Senate. No substantive policy changes, eligibility criteria, or legal requirements were altered; the content remains identical to the original draft.
TECHNICAL
Removed the list of legislative sponsors and the initial 'Introduced' status header.
Added formal 'Enrolled' status headers, specific agreement dates for the House and Senate, and official chapter formatting.
Adjusted line breaks and spacing to match official enrolled bill formatting standards.
Floor votes · Senate Jan 16, 2026 · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026
How they voted
21–18
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Jan 16, 2026
D
Democratic21
100% Yea
R
Republican19
94% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
19
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Amendments
3
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 30, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 30, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ2ER)
lower
Jan 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate
upper
Jan 16, 2026
Amended
Senator McDougle Amendments rejected (Voice Vote)
upper
Jan 16, 2026
Introduced
Reading of amendments waived (Voice Vote)
upper
Jan 16, 2026
Introduced
Floor offered Senator McDougle Amendments
upper
Jan 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 3-N 2-A)
upper
Jan 14, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
upper
Jan 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 6-N)
lower
Jan 14, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (56-32-2)
house of delegates
Nov 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
lower
1 primary · 54 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker
DDemocratic
Co
Adele McClure
DDemocratic
Co
Alex Askew
DDemocratic
Co
Alfonso Lopez
DDemocratic
Co
Amy Laufer
DDemocratic
Co
Atoosa Reaser
DDemocratic
Co
Betsy Carr
DDemocratic
Co
Bonita Anthony
DDemocratic
Co
Briana Sewell
DDemocratic
Co
Candi King
DDemocratic
Co
Charniele Herring
DDemocratic
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