HB 964: As the League of Women Voters of Virginia strongly supports the proposed constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to those who have completed their term of incarceration for a felony conviction, we also support this bill which provides the requisite changes to the state code to make this long overdue change a reality. We commend the patron for introducing this bill and urge you to vote to report.
HB965: The League of Women Voters ardently supports Virginia’s membership in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. NPV is an endorsement of democracy that preserves the Electoral College yet guarantees the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Article II of the U.S. Constitution specifically mandates that state Electors shall be appointed in such a manner as the state’s legislature may direct.
NPV ensures that every vote, in every state, will matter in every Presidential election. It should dissuade candidates from campaigning exclusively in swing states.
It does not change in any way how voters cast their ballots nor the local and state processes of counting and certifying the votes. It does not change the schedule of deadlines for state certification on the first Monday in December. In mid-December the Electors complete the paperwork for their votes as is the current deadline. And of course, we should all know that the Electoral Vote count will be on January 6th as usual.
So far, NPV has been enacted by18 jurisdictions possessing 209 electoral votes. States large and small have already signed on. With the addition of Virginia's 13 Electors, the total Elector votes committed to the compact will be 222, with only 48 more needed for enactment. We need to do this in this session.
HB967: The League supports this bill, which provides important amendments to the Virginia Voting Rights Act. These changes expand the current law’s protections of minority voting rights in Virginia. Among additional significant rights and protections, bill grants judicial standing to certain organizations, allowing them to file in circuit courts to seek redress from violations of the Act. The League of Women Voters of Virginia, which has minority members and whose mission pertains to voting rights protection, would qualify as such an organization. We welcome the support this bill gives to the voting rights of eligible Virginians, we thank the patron, and we urge you to report.
HB1131This bill would reverse an important current law rule that enhances voter participation. A photo ID rule existed in Virginia only between 2014 and 2020, or just six years in the Commonwealth’s long history. Voters have voted without incident both before and since that time. Many older voters and particularly those who do not drive lack a photo ID; and getting one, even a free one, would create a hurdle for these voters to overcome. This bill would particularly harm voters who have no need for a driver’s license and who work in jobs that do not allow for much time off during the working day. These voters would be unable to obtain an alternate ID. This is only one example of large number of citizens who would be disenfranchised by this bill. We urge you to vote no.
HB 964: As the League of Women Voters of Virginia strongly supports the proposed constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to those who have completed their term of incarceration for a felony conviction, we also support this bill which provides the requisite changes to the state code to make this long overdue change a reality. We commend the patron for introducing this bill and urge you to vote to report. HB965: The League of Women Voters ardently supports Virginia’s membership in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. NPV is an endorsement of democracy that preserves the Electoral College yet guarantees the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Article II of the U.S. Constitution specifically mandates that state Electors shall be appointed in such a manner as the state’s legislature may direct. NPV ensures that every vote, in every state, will matter in every Presidential election. It should dissuade candidates from campaigning exclusively in swing states. It does not change in any way how voters cast their ballots nor the local and state processes of counting and certifying the votes. It does not change the schedule of deadlines for state certification on the first Monday in December. In mid-December the Electors complete the paperwork for their votes as is the current deadline. And of course, we should all know that the Electoral Vote count will be on January 6th as usual. So far, NPV has been enacted by18 jurisdictions possessing 209 electoral votes. States large and small have already signed on. With the addition of Virginia's 13 Electors, the total Elector votes committed to the compact will be 222, with only 48 more needed for enactment. We need to do this in this session. HB967: The League supports this bill, which provides important amendments to the Virginia Voting Rights Act. These changes expand the current law’s protections of minority voting rights in Virginia. Among additional significant rights and protections, bill grants judicial standing to certain organizations, allowing them to file in circuit courts to seek redress from violations of the Act. The League of Women Voters of Virginia, which has minority members and whose mission pertains to voting rights protection, would qualify as such an organization. We welcome the support this bill gives to the voting rights of eligible Virginians, we thank the patron, and we urge you to report. HB1131This bill would reverse an important current law rule that enhances voter participation. A photo ID rule existed in Virginia only between 2014 and 2020, or just six years in the Commonwealth’s long history. Voters have voted without incident both before and since that time. Many older voters and particularly those who do not drive lack a photo ID; and getting one, even a free one, would create a hurdle for these voters to overcome. This bill would particularly harm voters who have no need for a driver’s license and who work in jobs that do not allow for much time off during the working day. These voters would be unable to obtain an alternate ID. This is only one example of large number of citizens who would be disenfranchised by this bill. We urge you to vote no.