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VA HB835

VA HB835
Elections; candidates and elected officials, confidentiality of personally identifiable information.


summary

Introduced
01/13/2026
In Committee
02/24/2026
Crossed Over
03/04/2026
Passed
04/06/2026
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
04/06/2026

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Regular Session

Bill Summary

Elections; candidates and elected officials; address confidentiality. Prohibits the custodian of any filing made by a candidate from releasing the address, phone number, or email address of such candidate in response to a request made under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill permits a candidate to provide the unique identifier assigned to him in the voter registration system pursuant to relevant law in place of his residence address on any candidate filing. The State Board of Elections is prohibited from requiring candidates to disclose their address or unique identifier on petitions prior to their being filed. The bill also adds elected officials to the list of people who may furnish, in addition to their residence street address, a post office box address located within the Commonwealth to be included in lieu of their street address on the lists of registered voters. The certificate of election delivered to the winner of an election is required to be accompanied by a notice that the person meets the qualifications for being granted protected voter status along with instructions for updating their voter registration in order to attain such status. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 632.

AI Summary

This bill, effective January 1, 2027, aims to enhance the confidentiality of personally identifiable information for candidates and elected officials in Virginia. It prohibits custodians of candidate filings from releasing a candidate's address, phone number, or email address under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, allowing candidates to instead use a unique identifier from the voter registration system on their filings. The bill also prevents the State Board of Elections from requiring candidates to disclose their address or unique identifier on petitions before they are filed. Furthermore, it expands the list of individuals who can use a post office box instead of their street address on voter lists to include elected officials, and requires that newly elected officials receive a notice with their certificate of election explaining how they can obtain protected voter status, which is a designation that can shield their personal information.

Committee Categories

Government Affairs

Sponsors (15)

Last Action

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0228) (on 04/06/2026)

bill text


bill summary

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bill summary

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bill summary

Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB835
BillText https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB835/text/CHAP0228
BillText https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB835/text/HB835ER
Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB835) https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1206410.PDF
Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB835) https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1184779.PDF
BillText https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB835/text/HB835S1
BillText https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB835/text/HB835SC1
Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB835) https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1107628.PDF
BillText https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB835/text/HB835
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