Voters have plentiful options for IDs in Virginia and adding, "(vi) any valid identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by any private entity that is licensed or certified, in whole or in part, by the Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Department of Medical Assistance Services, or Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; " adds to the likelihood that non-citizens will vote. This dilutes out votes and is not acceptable. Please vote NO.

Oppose bill in "accepting forms of identification" Must be an American Citizen to vote

Good afternoon, and thank you for allowing me to testify on behalf of HB26. I am Robert Moses I have been an election worker and election officer for over 20 years and have been on the Loudoun board of elections for 6 years. This bill will fill a critical void in acceptable forms of voter ID for Seniors who may lost their driver’s license due to medical or age issues. Reason 1: We currently accept this form of ID for GOVERNMENT run senior facilities only. This precludes facilities owned by churches, non-profits or private companies. Reason 2: This ID would meet the Virginia high security standards including verified information and picture ID. Every facility resident goes through that process. Reason 3: This would be more secure than some methods used today. Like acceptable utility bills or some work IDs. Please don’t disenfranchise this small but vital community of seniors. Thank you for your time and consideration.

The League of Women Voters supports HB 26. This bill adopts an additional form of photo ID that voters can use to verify their identity when they vote in-person. Specifically, this bill recognizes that many voters have photo IDs issued by a private entity that is licensed or certified by one of four Virginia agencies listed in the bill. Like our Department of Motor Vehicles’ IDs, photo IDs from these private entities, by being licensed or certified by Virginia agencies, can provide the same assurance that the voter is registered.

The Virginia Civic Engagement Table is a nonpartisan voting rights and civic engagement 501(c)(3) organization based in Richmond, VA. It anchors the Virginia Election Protection Coalition, the Commonwealth’s largest nonpartisan pro-voter coalition that works year-round to advance the freedom to vote. The Virginia Civic Engagement Table is proud to support this bill that updates the voter identification code to better reflect the full diversity of our Commonwealth and the needs of Virginia voters.