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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB 169

Candidates for office; challenges to candidate qualifications.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Elections; candidates for office; challenges to candidate qualifications. Requires any legal action relating to a person's eligibility to appear on the ballot on the basis that such person did not meet all qualifications or fulfill all requirements for candidacy to be filed in a circuit court and served on all parties (i) at least 90 days before the date of a general election; (ii) at least 65 days before the date of a primary election; (iii) at least 70 days before the date of a special election held on the same date as the general election; or (iv) for any special election held at a time other than a general election, (a) at least 55 days before the date of the special election or (b) within 10 days of any writ of election or order calling for a special election to be held less than 60 days after the issuance of the writ or order. The bill specifies that any such legal action will be given precedence on the docket and be decided by the circuit court no later than 10 days before the date on which ballots for that election are made available for absentee voting. The bill also specifies that candidates who are nominated at a primary election cannot be later challenged on the basis of facts that were present prior to the primary election and could have been raised in a challenge to such candidate's eligibility for the primary ballot.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:04 PM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 4, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 27, 2026
House		Reported from Privileges and ElectionspassSet your home in Virginia to see
Jan 26, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Jan 22, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Jan 20, 2026
Senate		Reported from Privileges and ElectionspassSet your home in Virginia to see

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