Virginia HB 1056

Voter registration by political party affiliation; partially closed primary elections. Adds party affiliation, beginning January 1, 2027, to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when registering to vote. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. The bill specifies that voters registered prior to January 1, 2027, will be designated as independent unless they provide a political party affiliation to the general registrar. Voters may change their political party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time before the registration records are closed prior to an election. The bill also provides that voters who are on the permanent absentee voter list will receive primary ballots for the political party with which they are registered as affiliated. Finally, the bill requires the state party chairman of each political party to file written notice with the State Board of Elections by January 31 of each year stating the rules adopted by the duly constituted authorities of the state political party for participation in the party's primaries to be held from April 1 of that year through March 31 of the following year.