Legislation - HB0156

Title: Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters
Sponsored by: Delegates Fair, Pasteur, Ruth, Wu, Schmidt, Solomon, Lehman, Stewart, and Terrasa
Status: In the Senate - First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Analysis: Fiscal and Policy Note

Synopsis

Authorizing unaffiliated voters to request to affiliate with a political party at an early voting center before a primary election or at a precinct polling place on a primary election day and vote a provisional ballot for the voter's preferred political party; requiring an election judge to determine if the voter resides in a certain county; applying the Act to all elections beginning with the statewide primary election in 2028; and prohibiting the application of the Act to any special elections held before the 2028 primary.

Committees

Original:: Government, Labor, and Elections Click to view Recorded Media

Opposite:: Education, Energy, and the Environment

Committee Testimony

Witness List

Details

Emergency Bill

Cross-filed with: SB0132

Introduced in a prior session as: HB0257 Session: 2024 Regular Session

Bill File Type: Pre-Filed

Effective Date(s): Upon Enactment

History

Legislation History
Chamber House Calendar Date 10/03/2025 Legislative Date 10/03/2025 Action Pre-filed Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 1/14/2026 Legislative Date 1/14/2026 Action First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections Proceedings
Chamber Calendar Date Legislative Date Action Text - First - Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 1/16/2026 Legislative Date 1/16/2026 Action Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m. Proceedings
Chamber Calendar Date Legislative Date Action Vote - House - Committee - Government, Labor, and Elections Proceedings Click to view Recorded Media
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/09/2026 Legislative Date 3/09/2026 Action Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/10/2026 Legislative Date 2/26/2026 Action Favorable with Amendments {483629/1 Adopted Proceedings 35 Click to view Recorded Media
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/10/2026 Legislative Date 2/26/2026 Action Second Reading Passed with Amendments Proceedings 35 Click to view Recorded Media
Chamber Calendar Date Legislative Date Action Text - Third - Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters Proceedings
Chamber House Calendar Date 3/11/2026 Legislative Date 2/27/2026 Action Third Reading Passed (110-26) Proceedings 36 Click to view Recorded Media
Chamber Senate Calendar Date 3/12/2026 Legislative Date 2/27/2026 Action Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment Proceedings 38 Click to view Recorded Media

Chamber	Calendar Date	Legislative Date	Action	Proceedings
House	10/03/2025	10/03/2025	Pre-filed
House	1/14/2026	1/14/2026	First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections
			Text - First - Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters
House	1/16/2026	1/16/2026	Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.
			Vote - House - Committee - Government, Labor, and Elections	Click to view Recorded Media
House	3/09/2026	3/09/2026	Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
House	3/10/2026	2/26/2026	Favorable with Amendments {483629/1 Adopted	35 Click to view Recorded Media
House	3/10/2026	2/26/2026	Second Reading Passed with Amendments	35 Click to view Recorded Media
			Text - Third - Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters
House	3/11/2026	2/27/2026	Third Reading Passed (110-26)	36 Click to view Recorded Media
Senate	3/12/2026	2/27/2026	Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment	38 Click to view Recorded Media

File Code

Subjects

Statutes