Here are some of the bills recently filed in the Virginia General Assembly that affect voting (courtesy of Project Vote). You can go to the Virginia Legislative Information System website and type in the bill number for more information. Then contact your State Senator or Delegate and tell them to support or oppose the bill.
Absentee Voting bill HB 1858 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would add to the list of persons permitted to vote absentee persons who are unable to go to the polls on election day because the person is primarily and personally responsible for the care of a child under the age of five years who is cared for in the home.
Absentee Voting bill HB 1922 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would allow any person who will be age 65 or older on the day of the election to vote absentee.
Absentee Voting bill HB 1992 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would allow any registered voter to vote absentee in person. Currently, voters must have a specific excuse to vote absentee, including in person.
Youth Voting bill HB 2000 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would allow any person who is otherwise qualified and is 16 years of age or older to register to vote. Persons must be 18 to vote, except in primary and special elections where the person will be 18 by the next general election.
Conduct of Elections bill HB 2065 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. The bill would establish the Office of the Election Fraud Ombudsman within the Department of Elections, headed by the election fraud ombudsman, appointed by the Commissioner of Elections. The bill would require the Office of the Election Fraud Ombudsman to receive and investigate complaints of violations of the election laws and to cooperate with the appropriate enforcement authority to ensure enforcement of the election laws. The Office of the Attorney General would retain its authority to enforce and prosecute violations of the election laws.
Felon Voting Rights bill HJ 604 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. The bill would amend the Virginia constitution to allow the legislature to provide for the restoration of civil rights to persons who have been convicted of felonies and who have completed service of their sentence, including any period or condition of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.
Felon Voting Rights bill HJ 616 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This proposed constitutional amendment would allow the legislature to provide for the restoration of civil rights to persons who have been convicted of nonviolent felonies and who have completed service of their sentences, subject to the conditions, requirements, and definitions set forth in that law.
Felon Voting Rights bill HJ 621 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This proposed constitutional amendment would allow the legislature to provide for the restoration of civil rights to persons who have been convicted of felonies and who have completed service of their sentences, subject to the conditions, requirements, and definitions set forth in that law.
Felon Voting Rights bill HJ 628 was referred to House Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This proposed constitutional amendment would allow persons convicted of felonies to vote once they have served their full sentence and been released back to civil society. The amendment would remove restoration by the Governor or other appropriate authority.
Absentee Voting bill SB 677 was referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would allow any registered voter to vote absentee in person without excuse. The bill retains the statutory list of specific reasons allowing a voter to cast an absentee ballot by mail.
Voter ID Expansion bill SB 688, SB 820 were referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill adds to the list of accepted forms of voter photo ID valid student photo identification cards issued by any private school located in the Commonwealth or by any public or private school or institution of higher education located in any other state or territory of the United States.
List Maintenance bill SB 711 was referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill requires that general registrars conduct and complete the cross-checking of registered voters through the use of interstate cross-check systems within 30 days of receiving precinct lists, with an extension option.
Voter ID Expansion bill SB 922 was referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would add to the list of accepted forms of ID for voting a valid ID card containing a voter’s photo and issued by any private entity that is licensed or certified, in whole or in part, by the State Department of Health, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, or the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
Absentee Voting bill SB 954 was referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would allow any registered voter to vote absentee in person without providing a statutory excuse.
List Maintenance bill SB 1337 was referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would extend the current prohibition against periodic list maintenance within the 90 days preceding a federal primary or general election to all primary and general elections. The bill would also require that the processing of registered voter lists developed through list comparisons with other states be completed in accordance with the current laws for regular periodic list maintenance.
List Maintenance bill SB 1350 was referred to Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee. This bill would require registrars to cancel the registrations of voters who are identified as registered in another state by an interstate matching program, notification by another state, or comparison by another agency of the list of another state, including a match of name, date of birth, and social security number.
Felon Voting Rights bill SJ 238 Senate Privileges and Elections Sub-Committee.
This bill would allow the General Assembly to provide for the restoration of civil rights to persons who have been convicted of nonviolent felonies and who have completed service of their sentences, including any period or condition of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, subject to the conditions, requirements, and definitions set forth in that law.