Virginia Senate Joint Resolution 2

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Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 20)
Status: Passed on April 13 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-04-13 - Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0978)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]

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.

Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote.

Sen. Mamie Locke [D]	Sen. Lashrecse Aird [D]	Sen. Lamont Bagby [D]	Sen. Jennifer Boysko [D]
Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy [D]	Sen. Creigh Deeds [D]	Sen. Adam Ebbin [D]	Sen. Barbara Favola [D]
Sen. Ghazala Hashmi [D]	Sen. Louise Lucas [D]	Sen. Dave Marsden [D]	Sen. Jeremy McPike [D]
Sen. Stella Pekarsky [D]	Sen. Russet Perry [D]	Sen. Aaron Rouse [D]	Sen. Saddam Salim [D]
Sen. Kannan Srinivasan [D]	Sen. Scott Surovell [D]	Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg [D]	Sen. Angelia Williams Graves [D]

2026-02-02 - House - Agreed to by House (60-Y 34-N 0-A) (Y: 60 N: 34 NV: 0 Abs: 6) [PASS]
2026-01-30 - House - Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 7-N) (Y: 15 N: 7 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-01-16 - Senate - Agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Y: 21 N: 18 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-15 - Senate - Senator McDougle, Ryan T. Amendments rejected (19-Y 20-N 0-A) (Y: 19 N: 20 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [FAIL]
2026-01-14 - Senate - Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 3-N 3-A) (Y: 8 N: 3 NV: 3 Abs: 1) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-04-13		Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0978)
2026-04-13	House	Assigned Chapter 978 (Effective 7/1/2026)
2026-03-31	House	Signed by Speaker
2026-03-30	Senate	Signed by President
2026-03-30	Senate	Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ2ER)
2026-02-02	House	Agreed to by House (60-Y 34-N 0-A)
2026-02-02	House	Taken up
2026-01-30	House	Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 7-N)
2026-01-20	House	Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
2026-01-16	Senate	Agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-01-16	Senate	Read third time
2026-01-15	Senate	Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-01-15	Senate	Senator McDougle, Ryan T. Amendments rejected (19-Y 20-N 0-A)
2026-01-15	Senate	Reading of amendments waived
2026-01-15	Senate	Floor offered Senator McDougle, Ryan T. Amendments
2026-01-15	Senate	Read second time
2026-01-14	Senate	Read first time
2026-01-14	Senate	Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 3-N 3-A)
2025-11-17	Senate	Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
2025-11-17	Senate	Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100361D

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SJ2
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SJ2/text/SJ2
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SJ2/text/SJ2ER
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SJ2/text/CHAP0978
Amendment	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SJ2/text/SJ2AS1
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SJ2/20261/S8V326
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SJ2/20261/SV32
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SJ2/20261/SV17
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SJ2/20261/H18V2611146
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SJ2/20261/2619912