The League of Women of Voters of Virginia supports HB 2746. We have first hand knowledge regarding the need for this legislation. One of our members was approached by a woman who sought limited guardianship for her daughter, a woman with Down’s Syndrome who had voted before and had a job. The mother requested the limited guardianship to protect her daughter’s assets from a scam artist who might play on her kind heart. At no time during this process did the judge or any attorney explain to her that this would deprive her daughter of her voting rights. It wasn’t until her daughter went to vote in the next election that she learned that she had been disenfranchised. We applaud Delegate Tran for this bill and strongly urge the Committee to pass it.

Please vote YES for HB2746 which will protect an individual's right to vote if they also have been determined to need a guardian. --Voting is a cornerstone of democracy, and this would ensure that mental health conditions do not become a blanket excuse for denying this right. --The proposed change protects against arbitrary disenfranchisement while preserving election integrity by focusing on whether an individual can express an interest in voting, rather than imposing irrelevant or discriminatory criteria. --Undue manipulation is protected against because the Courts must consider whether individuals can communicate an independent interest in voting, with or without accommodations, ensuring that the decision to vote originates with the individual. The "undue manipulation" argument made by those in opposition risks stereotyping individuals with mental health conditions requiring guardianship as inherently vulnerable, which is both inaccurate and discriminatory. Please vote YES on HB2746