Please do not make local or constitutional offices partisan. Similar bills have failed to move forward in previous sessions. Sheriff's, commissioner of revenues, treasurers etc should focus on their duties, not be beholden to political parties. These bills, if passed, may exclude military involved or federal employees from running for office, due to the Hatch Act. Local and constitutional offices should be nonpartisan.

Each of these bills, HB 176, 413, and 429 would require party affiliation to be included on the ballot of constitutional officers. At a time of deadly political polarization, we should be moving to REDUCE the influence and impact of parties on our government. These bills go in the opposite direction. There is no Republican, Democratic or Independent way to be a treasurer or a court clerk. These are nonpartisan offices for a reason - we don't WANT partisanship in the basic administration of local government. Please don't make the mistake of supporting these measures and making partisan politics are even greater distraction to good governance. Thank you.

Veterans for All Voters opposes HB 413 My name is Mike Cantwell. I am the Virginia Task Force Lead for Veterans for All voters. I am a retired Naval Officer, a retired Federal Government Employee, and a 30 resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia. HB 413 would make election for constitutional offices partisan, effectively prohibiting separating or retiring active duty military members and federal government employees from running for local or constitutional offices. Under current state and federal law, separating or retiring active duty military members and federal government employees are permitted to run for local or constitutional offices. If HB 413 becomes law, these patriotic Americans would risk violating federal law (the Hatch Act) if they campaign for office in a “partisan election” even if they run as an Independent. They would also be prohibited from participating in "partisan political activities" such as gathering petition signatures or hosting a fundraiser for a friend or neighbor. Do we really want to put a party label on Sheriffs, Commissioners of the Revenue, Treasurers, Commonwealth's Attorneys, and Clerks of the Circuit Court? Most voters say no. Voters want honest, competent local elected officials who swear an oath to serve and protect their local communities. I respectfully ask you to keep the status quo and allow separating or retiring active duty military members and federal government employees to run for local and constitutional offices. Please vote to lay HB 413 on the table.