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HB 4600WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill Requires All Absentee Ballots Be Received by 8:00 P.M. on Election Day

Original title: Require all ballots for primary and general elections be received not later than the close of the polls on election day.

Last action · February 11, 2026: To JudiciarySponsors: Rick Hillenbrand and 7 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

House Bill 4600 requires all mailed or overseas absentee ballots to be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day in order to be counted, eliminating the previous allowance for ballots postmarked by election day to arrive after the election.

Why it matters

Absentee voters must ensure their mailed ballots reach election officials by the close of polls rather than relying on an election-day postmark, altering the delivery timeline for ballots cast from outside the county or overseas.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

absentee voters

Mail-in and overseas absentee voters must ensure their ballots arrive by 8:00 p.m. on election day rather than relying on an election-day postmark.

Directly affected

county clerks

County clerks must enforce the new 8:00 p.m. election day receipt deadline for all mail-in and electronic ballots and oversee bipartisan ballot processing.

Directly affected

uniformed services and overseas voters

Military and overseas voters are subject to the same 8:00 p.m. election day receipt deadline, removing the previous allowance for ballots to arrive by the canvass start date.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

By what time must a mailed absentee ballot arrive to be counted?
A mailed absentee ballot must be received by the official supervising absentee voting by 8:00 p.m. on election day.
Can overseas or military voters still have their ballots counted if they arrive after election day?
No. Under the bill, absentee ballots from uniform services and overseas voters must also be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day.
Is there a limit on how many absentee ballots one person can hand-deliver?
Yes, no person may hand-deliver more than two absentee ballots in any election.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in Senate committee.

Procedural history

29 actions
  1. Feb 11, 2026SenateCommittee
    To Judiciary
  2. Feb 11, 2026SenateCommittee
    To Judiciary
  3. Feb 11, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced in Senate
  4. Feb 10, 2026House
    Communicated to Senate
  5. Feb 10, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed House (Roll No. 66)
  6. Feb 10, 2026House
    Read 3rd time
Show 23 earlier actions
  1. Feb 10, 2026House
    On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
  2. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment rejected (Voice vote)
  3. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment rejected (Voice vote)
  4. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment reported by the Clerk
  5. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment rejected (Voice vote)
  6. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment reported by the Clerk
  7. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment rejected (Voice vote)
  8. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment reported by the Clerk
  9. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment rejected (Voice vote)
  10. Feb 9, 2026House
    Amendment reported by the Clerk
  11. Feb 9, 2026House
    Read 2nd time
  12. Feb 9, 2026House
    On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
  13. Feb 6, 2026House
    Read 1st time
  14. Feb 6, 2026House
    On 1st reading, Special Calendar
  15. Feb 5, 2026House
    By substitute, do pass
  16. Feb 3, 2026House
    Markup Discussion
  17. Feb 2, 2026HouseCommittee
    To House Judiciary
  18. Jan 30, 2026House
    Markup Discussion
  19. Jan 30, 2026HouseCommittee
    To House Legal Services
  20. Jan 20, 2026HouseCommittee
    To House Judiciary
  21. Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced in House
  22. Jan 20, 2026HouseCommittee
    To Judiciary
  23. Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Filed for introduction

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Rick HillenbrandHouse · District 88RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Gary HowellHouse · District 87RepublicanSponsor
Josh HolsteinHouse · District 32RepublicanSponsor
Laura KimbleHouse · District 71RepublicanSponsor
Joe FunkhouserHouse · District 98RepublicanSponsor
Show 3 more sponsors
Tresa HowellHouse · District 52RepublicanSponsor
David CannonHouse · District 89RepublicanSponsor
Scot HeckertHouse · District 13RepublicanSponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Elimination of Postmark Grace Period

The legislation removes the historical provision allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by election day to arrive during the canvass period, requiring physical receipt by 8:00 p.m. on election day.

West Virginia Legislature

Connected Entities

Gary Howell, Laura Kimble, United States Department of Defense and 9 more
PersonGary Howell“Co-sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
PersonLaura Kimble“Co-sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
OrganizationUnited States Department of Defense“Federal department housing the Federal Voting Assistance Program.”Map →
OrganizationFederal Voting Assistance Program“Federal program of the U.S. Department of Defense coordinating uniformed and ove”Map →
PersonDavid Cannon“Co-sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
PersonScot Heckert“Co-sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
PersonJosh Holstein“Co-sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
PersonJoe Funkhouser“Co-sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
PersonRick Hillenbrand“Lead sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
otherUniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986“Federal law defining absent uniformed services and overseas voters.”Map →
PersonTresa Howell“Co-sponsor of House Bill 4600”Map →
OrganizationSecretary of State“State official responsible for prescribing electronic voting tools, waiver forms”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy65
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz50
    Current news / social attention level

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