Virginia Senate Moves to Repeal Witness Requirement for Absentee Voting
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Virginia Senate passed Senate Bill 1097 on Monday by a vote of 21-19, a critical step toward making absentee voting more accessible in the state. Currently, state law requires a witness signature on all absentee ballots in order to be counted. The requirement was temporarily halted for the 2020 election due to the risk of COVID-19 exposure. The new bill would permanently repeal the witness requirement for absentee ballots for future elections.