HB375 - I strongly agree with joining the National Popular Vote compact. It gives more power to us as individuals and aligns with democratic norms. This also strengthens Virginia as presidential hopefuls will have to speak to each state and person as opposed to a handful of swing states. HB658 - Ranked choice voting is a better system for voting and is determined by the candidate with the strongest support. It doesn't affect your 1st choice, lower choices will only be considered if the 1st choice doesn't win. This encourages more civil and policy driven campaigns. HJ1 - I strongly agree with individuals having the right to reproductive freedom. HJ2 - People should not be permanently defined by their past mistakes. HJ9 - Marriage is between two people, it should not be defined as between one man and one woman.

- Ranked choice voting weakens the democratic process by opening the door for one party rule in a state. - Reproductive freedom is a euphemism for abortion access and the fact that the term is being used proves that it is a scandal. An individual does not have the right to kill a person they find inconvenient. To enshrine this as a constitutionally protected right would be to invite the continued judgment of God upon our state. Magistrates have the duty to restrain evil not establish it in law. - Marriage is pre-political and it is the duty of any sane society to honor and protect it. It is a permanent covenant between a man and a woman to establish a family (God willing) which in turn builds healthy communities. To merely reduce it to some kind of relationship between any two individuals is a detriment to our society and an offense against God. We’ve already seen the devastation wrought by divorce, adultery, and sodomy by judicial decree and statute. Why make it even more ingrained in our legal system?

NO! Ballots in ranked-choice voting elections are more complex than traditional "one-person, one vote" elections. They force people to vote for all candidates, even those they oppose. RCV creates an artificial majority by eliminating the votes of the lowest-scoring candidates during successive tabulations. One study of Maine elections found that, of 98 recent RCV elections, 60 percent of RCV victors did not win by a majority of the total votes cast. RCV leads to voter confusion, and even Newsom (D-CA, governor) vetoed RCV legislation. Furthermore, districts using ranked-choice voting have lower voter turnout rates, and RCV changes and delays the election counting process.

I urge the committee to not vote to implement or allow the implementation of ranked choice voting. This type of voting process would dilute the impact of citizen's ability to select their preferred candidate. Rank Choice selection is best left up to the individual parties to determining their nominee in a convention setting - not for the general public in selection of the final elected official. This process is a step backward for the state of VA, and all democracies. In a rank choice voting system for the general public, it would basically guarantee a nominally popular candidates would get selected in a situation where there is a divided public on key main issues. This type of process would not accurately reflect the will of the major of the voting public, and further create disenfranchise in the overall process. Sincerely, Paul White