HJ 2 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

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

2118
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Jan 16, 2026
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
18 Nay 1
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
Photo of Elizabeth Bennett-Parker
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker
DDemocratic
VA
39
Co
Photo of Adele McClure
Adele McClure
DDemocratic
VA
2
Co
Photo of Alex Askew
Alex Askew
DDemocratic
VA
95
Co
Photo of Alfonso Lopez
Alfonso Lopez
DDemocratic
VA
3
Co
Photo of Amy Laufer
Amy Laufer
DDemocratic
VA
55
Co
Photo of Atoosa Reaser
Atoosa Reaser
DDemocratic
VA
27
Co
Photo of Betsy Carr
Betsy Carr
DDemocratic
VA
78
Co
Photo of Bonita Anthony
Bonita Anthony
DDemocratic
VA
92
Co
Photo of Briana Sewell
Briana Sewell
DDemocratic
VA
25
Co
Photo of Candi King
Candi King
DDemocratic
VA
23
Co
Photo of Charniele Herring
Charniele Herring
DDemocratic
VA
4