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Electronic candidate filing debated; amendment to delay implementation to 2029 accepted, bill fails to advance
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Summary
Delegate Josh Cole’s HB 89 would create a uniform electronic filing system for candidate forms and petitions and allow electronic petition signatures; the subcommittee accepted a line amendment delaying enactment to Jan. 1, 2029, but a motion to report the bill failed for lack of a second.
Delegate Josh Cole presented House Bill 89 as a modernization of Virginia’s candidate filing system, proposing a single, uniform electronic filing portal administered by the Department of Elections that would authorize electronic petition signatures. "This bill modernizes Virginia's candidate's filing process by allowing required election forms, petitions, and notifications to be submitted electronically through a standardized system administered by the Department of Elections," he said.
Cole offered a line amendment inserting a delayed enactment date — Jan. 1, 2029 — to give the Department time to build and secure the system; the committee voted to accept the amendment. Members questioned whether an online option could advantage incumbents with email lists and asked how signature validation would work. Counsel said paper petitions and witnessing requirements would remain in place and the Department would still confirm voter registration and signature validity, with party chairs continuing their validation role for primary petitions under existing practice.
Following discussion, a member moved to report HB 89, but there was no second, and the motion failed. The chair thanked the patron and closed the committee’s agenda. The amendment to delay enactment was accepted; the bill did not advance out of the subcommittee at this hearing.
