republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/hb-238.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Absentee voting; deadline for returning absentee ballot.	Absentee voting; deadline for returning absentee ballot. Provides that any absentee ballot that is returned to the general registrar after the closing of the polls on election day but before noon on the third day after the election and postmarked on or before the date of the election shall be counted if the voter is found entitled to vote. This bill contains technical amendments and is identical to SB 455.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2020	HB 238	Virginia HB 238 (2020)	bill		enacted	Mark D. Sickles	3	23	6	2019-12-30	2020-03-11	openstates	ocd-bill/5b73ed26-b611-40d5-bfb0-ca760179c611	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB238	0c6379e8a6c2d8ba89b524c6367966e8442678b99b930e48830f5159b0e70779	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 238 (2020) — Absentee voting; deadline for returning absentee ballot.

Absentee voting; deadline for returning absentee ballot. Provides that any absentee ballot that is returned to the general registrar after the closing of the polls on election day but before noon on the third day after the election and postmarked on or before the date of the election shall be counted if the voter is found entitled to vote. This bill contains technical amendments and is identical to SB 455.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0288) (committee substitute) — source
2. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB238ER) (committee substitute) — source
3. Impact statement from DPB (HB238) (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N) — 6–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Privileges and Elections (13-Y 0-N 1-A) — 13–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Privileges and Elections (22-Y 0-N) — 22–0 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Passage (100-Y 0-N) — 99–0 (pass) · lower
• Passed Senate (35-Y 0-N) — 35–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Mark D. Sickles — primary (person)
• Dan I. Helmer — cosponsor (person)
• Kathy K.L. Tran — cosponsor (person)
• Mark H. Levine — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

• 2019-12-30 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20101272D introduction
• 2019-12-30 Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections referral-committee
• 2020-01-13 Assigned P & E sub: Elections referral-committee
• 2020-01-20 Impact statement from DPB (HB238)
• 2020-01-21 Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N)
• 2020-01-24 Reported from Privileges and Elections (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2020-01-28 Read first time reading-1
• 2020-01-29 Read second time and engrossed reading-2
• 2020-01-30 Read third time and passed House (100-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2020-01-30 VOTE: Passage (100-Y 0-N)
• 2020-01-31 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2020-01-31 Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections referral-committee
• 2020-02-18 Reported from Privileges and Elections (13-Y 0-N 1-A) committee-passage
• 2020-02-20 Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
• 2020-02-21 Read third time reading-3
• 2020-02-21 Passed Senate (35-Y 0-N) passage
• 2020-02-26 Enrolled
• 2020-02-26 Impact statement from DPB (HB238ER)
• 2020-02-27 Signed by Speaker
• 2020-02-27 Signed by President
• 2020-03-05 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 5, 2020
• 2020-03-05 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 12, 2020
• 2020-03-11 Approved by Governor-Chapter 288 (effective 7/1/20) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/5b73ed26-b611-40d5-bfb0-ca760179c611. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).