The League of Women Voters of Virginia strongly endorses clarifying the prohibition on personally carrying a firearm. We also support extending the reach of that prohibition to 100 feet from any entrance to: a voting or vote counting location; the office of a general registrar; a building where a local electoral board meets to conduct its business before, during, and after an election; and the location where the State Board of Elections ascertains the results of an election. Normally, we would hesitate to apply one restricted zone to electioneering, which is 40 feet, and a different one to the knowing carrying of firearms. Unfortunately, the fact is that the danger firearms present extends well beyond 40 feet. People who carry firearms pose a serious potential threat to voters and all elections officials. Even if those people do not intend to pose a threat, their presence while armed is intimidating and creates a chilling effect on voting, voter registration, and election-related activities in general. The visible presence of armed individuals so close to voting sites and election offices echoes an ugly part of our history we do not want to revisit. We urge you to report HB 909.

I support HB 909 and request that it be passed (again) to keep voters, volunteers, library users, and election officials in Virginia Beach safe from a known, mentally disturbed gunman who was allowed to loiter day after day just outside our early voting sites. Over the course of multiple election cycles, this armed mentally unstable man frequented the Registrar’s office and the Kempsville Library early voting sites, with a pistol prominently displayed in a holster on his hip. This man shouted repeatedly, confronted voters arriving at the polls, stood in the way of voters attempting to enter the polls, reportedly got into an fight with two voters, continuously behaved in an aggressive and confrontational manner, and even followed voters attempting to leave the polls, shouting after them. Walking into the polling place the first day of early voting at a satellite site, I personally reported this man to the elections Chief at the Kempsville Library early voting site. The Chief responded, “[Name?] He’s all right,” and laughed, turning away. Complaints about this gunman’s erratic behavior piled up, but were consistently ignored. Eventually the city posted an armed sheriff’s deputy or police officer at the Kempsville Library during the hours the gunman was present, usually on a daily basis. Although this action was an obvious admission of the fact that the gunman posed a danger, no one took action to simply expel this man from the polling place based on his erratic behavior, or to arrest him. This mentally disturbed gunman taunted observers, straddling the forty foot line, with the gun on his hip just outside the forty foot line, hopping back and forth from one foot to another over the line, daring a confrontation. On his facebook page, this gunman scoffed at the complaints against him, stating that complainants should check with the Sheriff, because his friend the Sheriff would vouch for him. Lengthy discussions of his behavior ensued on Nextdoor, where a witness reported that this man had illegally gone over the 40 foot line, spotted on the steps of the Registrar’s office during early voting, with a gun on his hip. At some point, the man reported on his facebook page that he had been hired by a local Republican candidate for the General Assembly. He later reportedly moved on to Suffolk (although it is not known whether or not he remained armed or was allowed to stay at the Suffolk polling places). The local newspaper, the Virginian-Pilot, had earlier done a cute poof piece on this mentally ill unstable gunman’s quest to keep an “emotional support emu,” garnering sympathy for his supposed quest to keep the emu. (Although in spite of his court victory over the emu, the original owner of the emu reportedly took the emu back and would not return it). When asked, the local newspaper failed to send the same reporter, who had created the false impression that this gunman was somehow a sympathetic, cute character, over to the polling place to observe his actual aggressive, belligerent behavior, and failed to do a follow up story. Fortunately, NO ONE HAS BEEN SHOT, YET. Who failed the voters in Virginia Beach and allowed this dangerous travesty to continue on and on? The Electoral Board. The Elections office. The Chief at the Kempsville Library early voting site. The Sheriff’s Department. The Police Department. The Virginian-Pilot. Candidates and political parties who encouraged and/or ignored the danger posed by a mentally disturbed gunman.

The League of Women Voters of Virginia strongly supports HB639, which will clarify the support that elections offices may accept. We thank Del. Krizek for introducing this bill. The current rule uses language so vague that many registrars have become reluctant to work with organizations like the LWV on voter registration, including in the high schools. This has limited our ability to achieve one of our core functions, registering voters. The existing restrictions were interpreted differently throughout the state, further inhibiting our ability to serve voters. This bill resolves much of this confusion and we urge you to pass it. The League of Women Voters of Virginia strongly endorses clarifying the prohibition on personally carrying a firearm. We also support extending the reach of that prohibition to 100 feet from any entrance to: a voting or vote counting location; the office of a general registrar; a building where a local electoral board meets to conduct its business before, during, and after an election; and the location where the State Board of Elections ascertains the results of an election. Normally, we would hesitate to apply one restricted zone to electioneering, which is 40 feet, and a different one to the knowing carrying of firearms. Unfortunately, the fact is that the danger firearms present extends well beyond 40 feet. People who carry firearms pose a serious potential threat to voters and all elections officials. Even if those people do not intend to pose a threat, their presence while armed is intimidating and creates a chilling effect on voting, voter registration, and election-related activities in general. The visible presence of armed individuals so close to voting sites and election offices echoes an ugly part of our history we do not want to revisit. We urge you to report HB 909.

SUPPORT - This bill supports election workers, volunteers, and voters by helping strengthen safety requirements and confidence in our elections. Intimidation has no place in this process.

I support this bill because armed intimidation is undemocratic.

I am opposed to any all bill that make it easier to cheat in elections like these bills being presented. I am opposed to any and all bills that make same sex marriage acceptable. I am opposed to any and all bills that allow full term abortion and allow minors to have abortions with out the parents knowledge. I am opposed to any and all bills that would allow minors to undergo transgender surgery . I am opposed to any and all bills that will raise taxes while the politicians are trying to give themselves a 150% increase no that is not acceptable.

Oppose Democrats and Socialists forcing gerrymandering in Virginia. We know that the left is trying to get power. We know the illegal aliens are one source for getting democratic votes. What happened to following the Rule of Law in America and following it without causing chaos, lockdowns, destruction, propaganda, riots, censoring, spying, fraudulent schemes, mail in ballots, and other forms of corruption?

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the recently proposed bills on gun control. While I understand the intent behind these bills—to enhance public safety—I firmly believe that they will have unintended consequences that infringe on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. The Second Amendment guarantees "the right of individuals to keep and bear arms", and it is a fundamental part of what makes this country free. These bills being proposed would place unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on responsible gun owners, making it harder for Virginians to exercise their rights in a lawful and safe manner. Rather than focusing on restricting access to firearms, I urge the General Assembly to consider measures that target criminals and illegal activities, such as enforcing stricter penalties for those who use firearms in the commission of crimes, or improving background checks for gun purchases. It is essential to address the root causes of violence, such as mental health issues and gang-related activity, rather than punishing responsible gun owners who follow the law. Furthermore, these proposed bills could create significant logistical challenges for gun owners, particularly those who rely on their firearms for self-defense, hunting, or recreational activities. The financial burden and potential legal ramifications of complying with these new regulations would be overwhelming for many Virginians. I strongly urge you to reconsider these proposals and to focus on policies that protect both our rights and our communities. I trust that you will make the best decision for all Virginians, and I sincerely hope that you will oppose these bills.