Public Comments for 01/20/2023 Privileges and Elections
HB1693 - Absentee voting; return of absentee ballots, drop-off locations.
Last Name: Al Razi Locality: Rotterdam

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Last Name: Howard Organization: Virgina Beach Tea Party Locality: Virginia Beach

We support election integrity bills that put the guardrails back on our election making it easier to vote but harder to cheat. Third parties should not be allow to send absentee ballots out to anyone they should only be sent to those who requested by the voter registras office, Ballots should not be harvested and there should be no drop office boxes unmanned they should be inside an election office where they cannot be stuff (2000 Mules). Drop off boxes can be tampered and the contents burned. and 2 weeks is long enough for early voting.

Last Name: Smith Locality: Richmond

I oppose this bill as written. I do believe there needs to be a re-evaluation of the safety and security standards of the dropbox. For example, is there a minimum camera resolution standard for the surveillance of the dropbox?

Last Name: Champion Organization: Virginia Autism Project Locality: Springfield

The Virginia Autism Project and the Virginia Autism Advocacy Alliance oppose limiting access to absentee voting options for people with disabilities. Many people with disabilities and their caregivers require extended time to vote and options for returning ballots. Some people do not trust the mail service to return their ballot and they should have the option to drop them off at secure drop box locations. Virginia has protections in place to verify absentee ballots so fraud is not a concern. Please Vote NO on HB1910.

Last Name: DeRosa Locality: Arlington

Drop-off boxes provide greater access for voters. The patron did not provide any data to support his contention that drop-off boxes are "not secure" and therefore lead to voter distrust. His contention that "2 voters in the same car" would be required for the continued use of dropboxes does not make sense to me. Having worked as a poll greeter, I have seen many people who for various reasons have used the dropboxes. People with disabilities, the elderly, parents with young children, - all may use dropboxes because they do not have to stand in line and go inside the polling place to vote. I oppose HB 1693 (McGuire) and ask the full P&E Committee to stop this bill from moving forward. Disenfranchising voters is not what Virginia should be about.

Last Name: Boyd Organization: League of Women Voters of Virginia Locality: Arlington

The League of Women Voters supports the use of drop-off locations and opposes HB 1693. During the pandemic, the drop boxes assisted voters in avoiding contact. Even now the drop boxes are a convenient, secure way to vote. Elections offices have acquired them. Following strict guidelines from the Department of Elections, drop off locations are under surveillance at all times. You can put your completed ballot in a drop box with the confidence that it will be counted and you do not need to stand in any line to do it. We urge you to vote no on HB 1693.

Last Name: Champion Organization: Virginia Autism Project Locality: Springfield

Please Vote NO on HB1499/HB1877/HB1901 and HB1963. People with disabilities and their caregivers need expanded access to absentee voting, not restrictions and shortening time frames. Robust absentee voting timelines and access to voting are important rights for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Requiring re-enrollment in Absentee voting rolls is a burden to people with disabilities and their caregivers. Virginia has tools for verifying voting registration and checking the status of absentee voting which protects against any potential abuse of absentee ballots. Limiting the timeline, removing easy access absentee ballot boxes and other limitations create barriers to voting for people with disabilities and their caregivers who need expanded voting access. Requiring excuses for absentee voting is another barrier for people with disabilities who cannot always predict the needs they have nor can a list of excuses encompass all the reasons. Requiring excuses limits access to absentee voting for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Please vote NO on these bills that limit absentee voting access.

HB1877 - Absentee voting; limits availability of absentee voting in person.
Last Name: Al Razi Locality: Rotterdam

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Last Name: Playfair Locality: Oslo

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Last Name: Williams Locality: Fairfax

This is a step in the right direction. If the citizens of the States and the Republic cannot trust the integrity of State and National elections, we no longer have a viable government. Standard laws for elections should include the following restrictions: A. Voters must be required to vote in person at their designated precinct on election day. B. Only United States Citizens with proof of citizenship, i.e., a valid photo ID issued by the Federal Government or the State in which they are resident and an indication of the precinct where they are registered to vote. C. Military, government personnel, or other citizens and families serving in foreign countries or in jurisdictions should request a mail-in ballot in ample time to return it before midnight on election day. D. Citizens who hold positions or jobs that make it impossible to vote on election day should be able to vote in person early. Note that if election day was designated as a holiday, voters could more easily vote in person. However, under no circumstances should early voting extend more than one week in advance of election day. E. All mail in ballots should be specifically requested, certified by a notary public, and arrive at the ballot location before midnight on election day. Ballot harvesting, blanket mailing of ballots, unmanned ballot drop-boxes or any voting method that does not have visual supervision of the ballot cast should be illegal.

Last Name: Howard Organization: Virgina Beach Tea Party Locality: Virginia Beach

We support election integrity bills that put the guardrails back on our election making it easier to vote but harder to cheat. Third parties should not be allow to send absentee ballots out to anyone they should only be sent to those who requested by the voter registras office, Ballots should not be harvested and there should be no drop office boxes unmanned they should be inside an election office where they cannot be stuff (2000 Mules). Drop off boxes can be tampered and the contents burned. and 2 weeks is long enough for early voting.

Last Name: Williams Locality: Prince William

As an election officer in Prince William for years, to include the years when early voting has been 6 weeks long, I have never seen a problem with those with disabilities coming to vote. My colleagues agree. In fact there are many days when people with disabilities are not seen over the 6 week period. The bill to reduce the early voting to 2 weeks bill does not reduce curbside voting. Most of our voting traffic come in the last two weeks and election day. Vote YES on HB1877.

Last Name: Block Locality: Prince William

In my county of prince William I have served as an election officer and the reduction of early voting to two weeks would be most welcome. All parties agree. Two weeks would lower stress on the elections office because they have to be on call from the satellite offices over voter issues and technology problems, and they have to drive to pick up sealed election materials every day across a large county. The costs for early voting are visible by comparing the FY budgets below. FY19 total costs for conducting and certifying elections are $1,988,554 FY20 total costs for conducting and certifying elections are $2,633,866 - This is when the no excuse early voting started, A NOTICIBLE INCREASE FY 21 total costs for conducting and certifying elections are $3,780,113 ANOTHER NOTICIBLE INCREASE FY 22 total costs for conducting and certifying elections are $3,476,112 In 2022, there were 3 early voting sites for 4 weeks and 5 sites for the last two weeks, was only open one weekend and closed at 4:30 instead of 5pm as they did in 2021. That helped cut costs from 2021 and 2020. In 2021 they had 5 early voting for 4 weeks and 7 early voting sites for the last two weeks and they were open several weekends. For FY 21 "No Excuse Absentee/Early Voting – Conduct and Certify Elections Expenditure" was $430,176. For 2021 that with 42784 in person early votes that is $10.05 a voter without the large expenditure for new equipment costs and support for early voting. They did not break cost for early voting out for 2022. Salaries per day: Chiefs $225 so 6 weeks M-F is $6750 for every site Assistant Chief $200 so $6000 for 6 weeks M-F without Saturdays for every site Election Officer $175 4 EOs per site so $21,000 M-F for 6 weeks Elections Officers alone is $33,750 per site for 6 weeks without Saturdays and without facility rental and without new equipment costs and support for early voting. Most people vote for the first couples days and then traffic dies out until the last two weeks when it picks up. Two weeks with the hours offered by the bill is sufficient and much easier on county resources. The link to download the 2022 traffic by locality and day is, https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=kZrxd9VZJvc5XddP6oFxXM3s8K2DK8meRIt7 The data is cumulative as you look down the rows and so to find the turnout for each week you have to subtract the ending number from the beginning number for the week. Thank you and please vote IN SUPPORT of reducing early voting to two weeks. Elizabeth Block

Last Name: Smith Locality: Richmond

I oppose this bill as written. I would personally offer an amendment to shorten early voting in primaries and special elections (excluding Presidential primaries). We need to differentiate between primaries and general elections when debating about early voting. There is no benefit to offering early voting for 45 days for a primary. It is wasting money and it is putting a strain on election officials and on the Registrar's budget. I personally believe that we should have three weeks of early voting for a primary and 45 days of early voting for the general election.

Last Name: Champion Organization: Virginia Autism Project Locality: Springfield

The Virginia Autism Project and the Virginia Autism Advocacy Alliance oppose limiting access to absentee voting options for people with disabilities. Many people with disabilities and their caregivers require extended time to vote and options for returning ballots. Shortening the time for absentee voting is an arbitrary restriction that creates barriers for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Vote NO on HB1877.

Last Name: Boyd Organization: League of Women Voters of Virginia Locality: Arlington

The League of Women Voters opposes HB 1877. The bill unduly restricts early in-person voting to two weeks. Military and overseas voters can begin voting 45 days before an election. There is no reason to make voting harder for voters at home. Many of those voters work long hours, multiple jobs, care for children, care for elders, and/or have long commutes. Yet, they prefer to vote in person. They should not be deprived of the opportunities they have already had to vote conveniently.

Last Name: Champion Organization: Virginia Autism Project Locality: Springfield

Please Vote NO on HB1499/HB1877/HB1901 and HB1963. People with disabilities and their caregivers need expanded access to absentee voting, not restrictions and shortening time frames. Robust absentee voting timelines and access to voting are important rights for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Requiring re-enrollment in Absentee voting rolls is a burden to people with disabilities and their caregivers. Virginia has tools for verifying voting registration and checking the status of absentee voting which protects against any potential abuse of absentee ballots. Limiting the timeline, removing easy access absentee ballot boxes and other limitations create barriers to voting for people with disabilities and their caregivers who need expanded voting access. Requiring excuses for absentee voting is another barrier for people with disabilities who cannot always predict the needs they have nor can a list of excuses encompass all the reasons. Requiring excuses limits access to absentee voting for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Please vote NO on these bills that limit absentee voting access.

Last Name: Moore Locality: Fairfax

Vote “YES” on limiting absentee in-person voting to two weeks before Election Day. The current 45-day election season is the longest in the nation. It is unnecessary, cumbersome, and expensive. The logistics and cost of staffing the many activities necessary to conduct early voting fall to the already overburdened electoral boards. Two weeks of early voting is ample time for everyone to vote early who wants to do so. If someone is out of town during those two weeks they can vote by absentee ballot. Or simply plan to be in town on one of those days. Let’s set a reasonable period for early voting by providing two weeks for early in person voting, and at the same time respecting the local electoral boards by reducing an unnecessarily long election season.

Last Name: Noggle Locality: Prince William County

Please Vote NO on HB1877. This bill would significantly limit the availability of voting absentee in-person. The current 45-day time period has been very successful and is very important to provide for Voters who have scheduling complications within a short time period to vote in-person. Restricting access to voting options is seriously unfair.

HB1910 - Absentee voting; unsolicited absentee ballot applications, required information, penalty.
Last Name: Al Razi Locality: Rotterdam

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Last Name: Playfair Locality: Oslo

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Last Name: Howard Organization: Virgina Beach Tea Party Locality: Virginia Beach

We support election integrity bills that put the guardrails back on our election making it easier to vote but harder to cheat. Third parties should not be allow to send absentee ballots out to anyone they should only be sent to those who requested by the voter registras office, Ballots should not be harvested and there should be no drop office boxes unmanned they should be inside an election office where they cannot be stuff (2000 Mules). Drop off boxes can be tampered and the contents burned. and 2 weeks is long enough for early voting.

End of Comments