RICHMOND—Virginia lawmakers are opening the door to no-excuse absentee voting, but the limited early voting window the General Assembly is advancing may not take effect until the 2020 election.

Legislation that has passed the House of Delegates and the Senate would create a seven-day window prior to an election in which voters could cast ballots in person without having to give an excuse.

Under current law, voters have to give a reason why they can’t make it to the polls on Election Day before being approved for an absentee ballot. The permissible excuses allow absentee ballots to be mailed or issued in person to anyone who will be away at college, on active-duty military service, traveling or hindered by a disability or illness on Election Day.

Though the excuses are broad, Democrats have long pushed to scrap the requirement. Gov. Ralph Northam included no-excuse absentee voting among the ballot-access proposals he touted prior to the session.

“It’s significant progress,” said Del. Mark Sickles, D–Fairfax. “It will be interesting to see what the governor might suggest when the bill reaches his desk.”

Sickles said he hopes Northam will try to amend the bill so that it can take effect for the General Assembly elections this November.