The Virginia Civic Engagement Table strongly opposes any measures, including this bill, that increase barriers to voting. Shortening the length of the early voting period limits the opportunity of voters to have their voices heard and to exercise their inalienable rights. We oppose any shortening of the early voting period.

Today, January 22, the House Privileges and Elections, Election Administration Subcommittee will consider: HB44, HB932, HB1200. The effectiveness of community-led advocacy to fight for clean air and water and the preservation of Virginia's abundant natural resources is inextricably connected to the freedom, fairness, and transparency of our democratic institutions and the ability of citizens to participate in them. We encourage you to OPPOSE HB44, HB932, HB1200. HB44 (Green), HB1200 (Scott), HB932 (Earley) Limiting Early Voting Window This Legislation Would: Reduce the number of in-person absentee voting days by 15 (HB44, Green) or 30 (HB932/HB1200) days.

Dear Madam Chair and members of the committee, I worked elections for many years now. I can personally attest to the positive impact that early voting has done since it was enacted in 2020. I've seen first hand how much easier and more convenient voting has become. Unfortunately, I have also seen the negative impact that 45 days of early voting has caused upon myself and my colleagues. The amount of money and staffing that we need to provide to hold an election for 45 days has caused us all undue stress/strain. In our county, we have had a low turnout during the first two weeks of early voting, usually bringing in less than 50 people a day in a county of 350,000. By adjusting the early voting window, we will be able to staff at a more efficient and more consistent level. For those reasons, I am in strong support of HB44 and implore you to pass the important bill. Thank you,

Opposition to HB345 —> Sadly, some local elected officials are advocating hard against commonsense November local elections because November elections make their re-election more competitive. Yet the people support November elections because they are more convenient and less confusing for voters, have massively higher voter turnout, and save taxpayers money compared to anti-democratic May local elections, which have abysmally low turnout. Historically and today, voters in low-turnout May elections tend to be whiter, wealthier, and older than November voters (https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-moving-municipal-elections-concurrent.html?fbclid=IwAR3NUtFBtKcqyLzLL1TBUA51rW_NIWH180FCjlZIP32CztyWz7nVaK4glHw). Local elections must remain consolidated to November so that all voters have a voice in their local government.

The League of Women Voters opposes HB 44. The bill unduly restricts early in-person voting to 30 days. Since ballots must be ready 45 days before an election for mailing to military and overseas voters, there is no reason to make voters at home wait longer. Many of those voters work long hours, work multiple jobs, care for children, or care for elders, including some combination of those demands. Many who are themselves elderly must rely on others to get to the polls. Many voters have long commutes and cannot be sure they could get to their polling place on Election Day. Yet, they prefer to vote in person. They should not be deprived of the opportunity they already have to vote conveniently.

Please see memo sent to Committee with concerns regarding HB79 as proposed.

The League of Women Voters opposes HB 79. If special elections are held the same day as a primary election for only one political party, voters from the party that is holding the primary are more likely to turn out to vote, which could significantly skew the results of the special election. No party should have an unfair advantage over another.

I am very opposed to Green’s effort to change elections back to July as opposed to Election Day. Also, why should anybody’s stay in office be extended by a year? The fact any city council can vote to keep themselves in office for another year and a half is outrageous.

Please vote this bill down. May elections have very low turnout. They are expensive to conduct as standalone elections. November elections have much better turnout. Voters are paying attention and can adequately assess the issues and candidates. In addition, November elections are far less costly, since ballots can contain more than one race or issue. Most importantly, May elections are a relic of Virginia’s discriminatory Jim Crow, massive resistance culture of old. The Byrd machine used May elections and other voter suppression tactics to keep turnout law, discourage involvement by the wider public, and in effect choose their voters so they could rule with little public input or accountability. In 2024, Virginia has moved beyond this sad history. We will not go back!

HB345 will allow localities like mine here in Chesapeake to limit voter participation by moving their local elections back to May from November when many more voters show up. For many years, May elections meant that local officials did not have to campaign for their seats or answer to constituents and our needs because so few voters showed up for the elections because voters did not know when they were. While that certainly satisfied some of those very comfortable in office, holding unexpected, unadvertised elections at a time few people knew about meant that voter turnout was abysmal and our city officials never had to respond to the wishes of voters. Please protect voter rights and our democratic process and vote NO on HB345.

The Virginia Civic Engagement Table strongly opposes any measures, including this bill, that introduce or reintroduce barriers to voting. Due to the cost and strain on local registrars offices of May general elections - which historically witness low voter turnout - we oppose HB 345.

I ran for Chesapeake City Council in 2018 when local elections were in May. The city is growing, and a surprising number of voters didn’t realize there were important local races to turn out for in May. Most who moved here from out of state thought all elections were in November, like everywhere else they had ever lived. At every public forum, voters asked candidates to pledge to move the elections to November. They wanted the convenience and cost savings to the city. Turnout for May elections was also pathetically low, usually about 10% of the electorate. About 15% turnout was considered high for May elections. Many did pledge to work for the change, including Chesapeake’s mayor, Rick West. After the election, however, he and other successful candidates said they had a “change of heart” on the issue. He said the low turnouts brought a higher quality of voter (what next? Poll taxes? They were allegedly for a similar purpose). As a voter, I felt betrayed, and that the adherence to May was a form of chronological gerrymandering. I joined others to collect signatures in an unsuccessful effort to get the matter before the voters on a referendum. My husband and I collected hundreds of signatures, and voters of all political stripes were eager to sign, saying they wanted the convenience of voting for local candidates in November. Local residents finally appealed to the state, which saw fit to change our local elections to November. As a voter and activist I am thrilled. When I talk to discouraged voters, often low-income voters or people of color, they complain nothing ever changes on the local level, that studies are done about local issues, but there’s never any follow-through. My response is that improvements are coming, because our local politicians are now responsible to the entire electorate, not just the 10-15 percent that reliably turned out in May. Please, don’t take power away from voters. Keep local elections in November. Make our local officials accountable to the entire city. Vote against this backward and harmful bill.

Madam Chair and Committee Members, HB345 should not pass out of this committee. It is a bad bill and would take Virginia backwards in voting rights access. I am the founder of Change the Date Chesapeake and Change the Date Virginia, the two grassroots, citizen led groups that fought d for years to move low turn-out local elections from May to November, first where I live in Chesapeake and then to remedy the problem for all the citizens of Virginia whose towns still held low turnout May elections, by supporting the passage of SB1157 in 2021. I understand that once again, local incumbent politicians are trying to move their elections back to May by a simple vote of a council meeting. I testified against similar House legislation last year in the Senate sponsored by Chesapeake Delegate Jay Leftwich. He said in his presentation that he brought the legislation forth on behalf of 7 mayors. As a delegate his district covers ONE city. It's interesting to me that he chose to represent the interests of incumbent politicians from 6 other localities instead of the voters. HB345 is another attempt at a power grab, plain and simple. Low turn-out May elections are easier for incumbents to stay in power. November elections give much greater visibility, convenience and access to the voters to cast their ballot when everyone knows it's time to VOTE. Allowing localities to return to May elections would also be more expensive and additional burden on Registrars, especially now that we have early voting. Right now, no matter where you live in Virginia, you vote for your local officials in November. Passage of HB345 would abolish that uniformity. This is a non-partisan issue. Voters I spoke to of all political persuasions liked the move to November. When we testified in favor of SB1157 it was, we the people, who testified in favor and a small number of local incumbent politicians in opposition. Former Senator Lionell Spruill, sponsor of SB1157 said it best when he called his bill "constituent led legislation." HB345 is not led by constituents, not even in the slightest. Please side with the people and PBI this bill. Thank you

Dear Madam Chair and members of the committee, My name is Ben Green, 24-year-old and lifelong resident of Hampton Roads. Del. Green’s bill allowing local elections to be moved back to May would undo the work Chesapeake-based group “Change the Date Chesapeake”, led by Jeanne Hanewitch, advocated for in 2017. The history of both At-Large and May Elections in Virginia go back to Jim-crow era policy that was engineered to decrease voter participation and turnout. Chesapeake fiercely rejected the push for their elections to be moved from May to November in 2017, when legislation was introduced and signed by Gov. Northam to do just that. Chesapeake has several members that have held their seats before I was even born, and any effort like this one to decrease the amount of voters to participate would ensure a continued minority-rule. Chesapeake is also one of the few localities that still holds At-Large elections, as this is still permissible by the state. Most members live in close proximity to each other, leaving parts of the city completely underrepresented for years. The result of the 2017 decision to change local elections to November has been increased voter turnout, participation, engagement, and has also helped municipalities fiscally. In a time when all localities are entering into difficult budget seasons with inflationary increases, why produce a bill that would allow localities to spend more tax-payer money to hold an off-cycle election? This only serves to keep incumbents in place, increase the cost localities spend on elections, and decrease voter turnout and participation. This would be a roll-back of right, to be clear. I urge you to reject Del. Green and Del. Ennis attempts to take Virginia back and remove the protections the state granted us in 2017 to align our elections with a cycle that is more affordable for localities and give more residents a chance to participate in the process. Thank you for you time and consideration, Ben Green - 757-620-4286

ballot no later than two Saturdays before the elections AND (ii) that the voter then voter than ballot IN-PERSON no later than two Saturdays before the election (currently, voters can return their absentee ballot by drop box or by USPS if received no later than noon the Friday AFTER Election Day) NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON VOTER REGISTRAR'S, ELECTION BOARDS, AND THE ACTUAL ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS this Bill requires that every time we (i) request money AND (ii) then receive money AND (iii) then spend money, that we give public notice. this is ridiculous and overly burdensome this also raises security concerns because there are certain things we spend on for public safety and security that is then undermined is we give notice of these arrangements publicly ultimately, I think this will be weaponized to attack Sunday voting... currently, opponents to Sunday voting are doing everything they can to find every dollar they can that is spent to hold Sunday elections so that they can argue against allowing Sunday voting we are extremely busy administering an election – asking that we publish online (sensitive) information related to voter names and reasons for changing voting status at the close of the registration books and again publish online a list of everyone who voted in the election is cumbersome and takes away from our ability to focus on our work

Please vote YES on HB 393. The bill includes many requirements that are necessary for safe and secure elections. For instance, requiring photo ID is inarguably the best way to ensure that a voter is who they say they are. The state will provide a photo ID if necessary. The reduction of early voting is also important to allow Registrar offices reasonable timeframes within which to administer elections. Virginia has by far the longest voting season of any state, with 45 days, with no justification for such an extravagant amount of time. The VA legislature recently heard from a former Secretary of State in Kentucky, who shared that Kentucky has three days of early voting. He did not express any concerns about that, in fact he indicated that it worked well. Two weeks of early voting is an abundant amount of time for Virginians to vote.

I oppose HB 393. The bill is a paranoid laundry list of restrictions without evidence of necessity. The statutes it proposes to repeal are beneficial and have appropriate safeguards. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

The Virginia Civic Engagement Table strongly opposes any measures, including this bill, that increase barriers to voting. HB 393 raises concerns about transparency, accessibility, and fairness in our electoral process. Requiring the publication of detailed information on voter registration changes, absentee ballot applications, and the use of funds within a short timeframe will impose unnecessary burdens on our Commonwealth’s registrars. The bill's stringent requirements for absentee voting will disenfranchise Virginia voters who depend on these options to access the ballot. The repeal of provisions allowing for the use of ranked choice voting and central absentee precincts stifles innovation and responsiveness to our voters' preferences. HB 393 prioritizes restrictive measures over inclusive and adaptable election practices, which are crucial for a robust and democratic electoral system. We strongly oppose HB 393.

HB 393 This bill includes about a dozen provisions that either reverse current rules that facilitate all voters’ exercise of their right to vote or introduce new measures that impose new burdens on our election workers and administrators. Some provisions would intimidate voters. The League of Women Voters urges you to vote no. The bill would revoke or restrict such benefits to voters as same day registration for anyone other than military and overseas voters, drop boxes, and the permanent absentee list. Only military and overseas voters could return a ballot postmarked by election day but arriving by a later deadline and only those particular voters would benefit from 45 days. Everyone else could only avail themselves of early voting for ten days and would need an excuse to vote early. Photo IDs would be reintroduced, even though they were the rule for only six years in the voting history of the Commonwealth. None of these current rules have been proven to have a negative impact on the legitimacy of elections in Virginia and, as such, turning back the clock is not only unnecessary but suppresses voting. Voters who work long hours or multiple jobs, who care for children or the elderly, who have long commutes, or who are themselves dependent on others to transport or assist them—all these voters would find. their voting options minimized.  The new measures include eliminating the Central Absentee Precinct and requiring that all early voting ballots be collected and distributed to precincts for tallying, putting new burdens on officers of election at the end of a very long day. The general registrars would have to post online the names of newly registered voters and also everyone who voted in an election. Voters would be upset and angry. You would hear from them. The apparent intent of this bill is to discourage voter fraud. There is no history or evidence of voter fraud that affects the outcome of elections in Virginia or anywhere else. All this bill accomplishes is to make it harder to run an election; and, for many Virginians, it would make it harder to vote.

The Institute for Responsive Government Action strongly supports HB 565. This policy, which has been successfully implemented in states like Kentucky and Colorado, makes simple changes to DMV and Board of Elections procedures that will result in hundreds of thousands of additional address updates for registered voters. More address updates through the DMV means cleaner voter rolls, significant cost-savings for elections officials from reduced undeliverable mail, and a better experience for voters. We thank the Committee for their careful consideration of the bill.

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to you today about Virginia’s H.B. 565 / S.B. 315, a nonpartisan, good-government proposal that will result in more voters being registered in the correct location while saving money and reducing the administrative burden on election administration officials. This bill would increase the accuracy of voter registration rolls by automatically updating a voter’s registration record if the voter were to provide a different address to the Virginia DMV during a licensing transaction. The voter would still have an opportunity to correct the change, if needed. By automatically syncing voter registration records with DMV records, Virginia can ensure cleaner voter rolls and dramatically reduce the cost of undeliverable election mail. To be clear, no Virginian would be automatically registered if this bill were to pass. Only voters who are already registered would see their addresses automatically updated to their new, current address. This precise policy has been adopted in 10 states — red and blue alike — including Colorado, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. And a similar policy exists in several other states. In Colorado, the policy has updated an extra 200,000 outdated records per year. If Virginia’s success rate were similar, taxpayers would save over $1 million each cycle on undeliverable mail alone. It will also save elected officials’ campaigns time and money. Finally, by spreading updates throughout the year, it should reduce the workload during the busiest time of the election calendar, when most think about updating their addresses. That’s why reforms like this attract bipartisan support across the country. I regret that I cannot be at the statehouse to testify due to pre-scheduled travel around the National Association of Secretaries of State conference in Washington, D.C. I hope we can count on your support of this bill and welcome any questions, thoughts, or concerns about the bill. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Trey Grayson Advisory Board Chair, Secure Elections Project Kentucky Secretary of State, 2004-2011 Past President, National Association of Secretaries of State Past Chair, Republican Association of Secretaries of State tgrayson@fbtlaw.com (859) 817-5930

Please vote NO on HB 565. The bill would create confusion in the voter registration system because it assumes that any address provided in a DMV transaction is the last known and primary address of a voter. For instance, if someone has a farm in VA that is not their primary (registered) residence, and houses a vehicle at that farm, the farm address becomes their new voter registration address when the vehicle is registered. Without any advance notice, that voter then will not be able to vote at their original registered precinct. This is unfair to the voter. Instead, the bill should require DMV to ask anyone providing an address whether that voter’s registration information should be updated with that address (or not).

The League supports HB 565 because it will help ensure that voters who are already registered to vote in Virginia are registered in the correct precinct. Many people forget to update their voter registration addresses but remember to update their addresses for their driver’s licenses. While it is true that eligible citizens can opt out of automatic voter registration, once they are registered, this proposal would make it easier for them to keep their registration current and accurate. Not only would the bill help voters, but it would also assist in maintaining clean voter rolls.

HB 658 - Should not pass. Arlington declined to use this for their general election therefore it should be demoted in use not promoted. Most localities do not have the software required to extract Cast Vote Records today. Extending this capability to general elections will force counties who are already stretched thin financially for elections to seek emergency funding for a solution where no problem exists. Do not support this bill.

I am asking members of this committee to vote YES on HB658, which encourages localities across our Commonwealth to use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in their elections and provides clarification and procedures to assist administration. RCV is one of three major elements of the Forward Party's election reform policy platform (in addition to nonpartisan primaries and independent redistricting commissions). RCV enhances voters' voice and influence because it captures more information about our preferences. This reduces strategic voting - the urge to withhold support for a favorite to avoid spoiling a race or wasting a vote. RCV also enhances trust in the system by providing evidence that the winner has majority support (not just a plurality). Finally, RCV provides incentives for candidates to appeal to all voters, because the method places value on their choices for alternatives. This in turn reduces the perceived need to conduct negative campaigns that are driving many voters away from participation in our political system. Please help restore choice and confidence in our elections by supporting this bill.

I support HB 658. Primary elections often have more than two candidates per party, and in such situations, ranked choice voting expresses the will of the voter more faithfully.

Veterans for All Voters supports HG 658. Localities should have the option of using RCV in all local elections, including elections for constitutional offices. Thanks, Mike Cantwell Virginia Task Force Lead - Veterans for All Voters 703-7886-3922

Sign up for my HB 668 to speak

HB668 is a bad bill. Allowing localities to move their elections from even years to odd would result in lower voter turnout. Interestingly, this bill does not allow a locality to move their odd year local elections to even. Why? Perhaps it is because the intent of this bill is a blatant attempt to decrease voter participation in local elections. Data in Virginia shows that turnout is higher in even years and lower in odd. SB1157, which consolidated all local elections in Virginia to November, allowed for a time period for localities to switch the election timing before it took effect and ONE city took advantage of it. A few Chesapeake City Council Members tried to do it where I live in 2021 after Governor Northam signed the legislation and we had a huge outpouring of citizen testimony against the change to ODD years and it did not pass in our city council. Never in the history of our city had local election been held in odd years. We should be doing everything possible to increase voter turnout. HB668 would decrease voter participation and should be PBI.

Please vote NO on HB668 in order to provide greater access and participation by voters in our local elections. Allowing city officials to make a decision like this about their own elections is not democratic. If this bill passed to law, it will allow incumbents to choose to extend their own office for another year and will decrease voter participation in future local elections. This is an another bad voting bill and is an attempt at a power grab on the part of current local officials who don't want to have to respond to voters or campaign for their office. Let's support voter turnout and participation rather than the tyranny of those already in power.

The League of Women Voters opposes HB 668. While localities may want greater flexibility in managing their elections, this bill provides too much discretion to those officials whose own elections are involved. Not only would elected officials be given the power to shift their own elections to a lower turnout year, but they would also be extending their own terms by a year without a public vote. Although the bill requires a public hearing, the governing body would still retain the right to change their own elections.

The League of Women Voters supports HB750. In today’s world, where all kinds of banking transactions and contracts, even for the purchase and sale of real property, can be executed and ratified electronically, there is no reason why candidate petitions cannot be handled the same way, as long as there are appropriate safeguards in place. This bill provides for proper safeguards and brings into the twenty-first century the process for getting candidates on the ballot.

The Virginia Civic Engagement Table strongly opposes any measures, including HB 932, that limit the freedom to vote. Shortening the length of the early voting period limits the opportunity of Virginia voters to have their voices heard and to exercise their inalienable rights. We oppose any shortening of the early voting period.

Today, January 22, the House Privileges and Elections, Election Administration Subcommittee will consider: HB44, HB932, HB1200. The effectiveness of community-led advocacy to fight for clean air and water and the preservation of Virginia's abundant natural resources is inextricably connected to the freedom, fairness, and transparency of our democratic institutions and the ability of citizens to participate in them. We encourage you to OPPOSE HB44, HB932, HB1200. HB44 (Green), HB1200 (Scott), HB932 (Earley) Limiting Early Voting Window This Legislation Would: Reduce the number of in-person absentee voting days by 15 (HB44, Green) or 30 (HB932/HB1200) days.

The League opposes both HB932 and HB1200. The bills reduce Virginia’s 45-day early voting period to fourteen days. Federal law requires that the ballots must be ready to be mailed to military and overseas voters forty-five days before an election. Since the ballots are ready, regular eligible voters should be allowed to cast their ballots too.

Student turnout has been historically low across the Commonwealth. This legislation would improve college student voter turnout by opening early voting locations on campuses for students registered at college. I believe this legislation would be very helpful for College students in Southwest and Valley Virginia as in some counties, the early voting location can be very far away, and many college students don’t have the beforehand knowledge of the location. I encourage the legislators to pass this important bill.

Fair Elections Center and its Campus Vote Project write in support of HB 941, which would would require absentee in-person sites on campus of public four-year higher education institutions with enrollment of 3000 or more. This bill would help eliminate barriers to voting for students. Travel to off-campus voting sites is exacerbated for many on-campus students by prohibitions on having vehicles at school due to parking constraints, or even outright vehicle bans for freshman and/or sophomores at some institutions. Campus polling places during early voting offer students the same opportunity to vote in their community as other voters. We also suggest that the bill be expanded to include two-year public institutions with the same enrollment to increase access in the large population of Virginias who attend community colleges in the Commonwealth. Thank you.

I support HB941 wholeheartedly. College students, deserve to able to vote with the same ease as every other person.

I support HB 941. As a current undergraduate student at Old Dominion University who has worked on voter registration & engagement efforts on my school campus, I can speak to benefits of this legislation. In a world with rising inflation and stagnant pay, making it easier for college students living on and around campus to more easily find time to vote when going between classes, study sessions, on-campus jobs, and social activities. Furthermore, by ensuring that college students at the largest institutions in the state have access to an on-campus voting site, students from out of town who are unfamiliar with the local area can more easily and comfortably vote at a location more familiar to them than those off campus.

I am Jon Murdoch, a Senior at Virginia Wesleyan University, and a person who's main priority for this government is making sure that the General Assembly is well represented, both in terms of the Electoral process and in terms of enabling our elected officials to pass legislation that helps their constituents. In this comment, I am advocating for the passage of HB 941. As a college student, I see a trend when it comes to elections; that college students don't vote. As a population, this is reflected in the below-average rates of young people voting compared to voters of different ages. When looking into why, two main reasons appear: that it is too inconvenient to vote; and a general disillusionment with the Electoral process and/or politics as a whole. HB 941 helps relieve some of the issues by ensuring that students, especially those without a car, can be able to vote, even if they are overloaded with classwork on the day of the election. This is because this legislation provides access to an early Voting satellite location on campus. This allows more students to vote without potentially losing time that waiting in a line on election day would allow. This provides convenience to college voters, making sure that they can express their vote to elect those that they agree to represent them in federal, state, and local affairs. Lastly, this legislation is reasonable. By having an minimum enrollment requirement, the burden on election boards to put a satellite location is minimized, as they do not have to expend resources on locations where there are not a significant amount of voters. As my school would also fall under the minimum enrollment requirement, my school would not be able to benefit from this legislation. Nonetheless, the benefit is clear, with reasonable restrictions that mitigate significant financial investments on the local level. I urge all legislators to pass this legislation.

This bill is a critical step forward in eliminating barriers to students being able to vote! As a 5th year Master's student who has worked in voter registration and on campaigns here, I believe this bill will have a substantial effect on facilitating student voting. This bill promotes getting young people engaged in our democracy and eliminating barriers to the ballot, which are both fantastic steps for Virginia!

I attended William and Mary and I think this is a good idea and will make students more likely to vote.

Requiring early voting as an option on college campuses through HB941 will empower democracy in Virginia. During my time at UVA, a professor who taught a foundational course with hundreds of student per lecture would schedule an exam on Election Day every single year. Without fail. Several students early into their college experience would not get the opportunity to vote. Offering early voting will mitigate voter suppression tactics like these that operate under the guise of academic pursuit.

This would mean the world to me, as a UVA student with a busy work and school life. I try to keep up on everything but this flexibility would be a game-changer. Just a little extra grace to allow students to vote conveniently and easily is such a low-stakes, high-reward investment that could make such a big difference.

I would like to encourage delegates to vote in favor of this bill to expand satellite early voting locations to college campuses. We should be breaking down barriers to make it easier for people to vote, especially young voters who will likely be voting for the first time. The more people engaged in democracy the better our Commonwealth.

Comments Document

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. Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on this important election measure. The Virginia Civic Engagement Table strongly supports HB 941, a crucial initiative aimed at eliminating obstacles to the freedom to vote for students in the Commonwealth. Establishing early voting sites on campuses of over 3,000 students is a pivotal step in empowering Virginia’s college students, who often face unique challenges in accessing transportation, to actively participate in the democratic process of our Commonwealth. This bill would eliminate a difficult barrier for Virginia voters. The attached document outlines the logistical challenges faced by Virginia's college and university students when attempting to reach their nearest early voting locations. On average, it takes 19 minutes round trip by car, 59 minutes by transit, and a substantial 142 minutes by foot to vote early on the first day of early voting in 2023. Given the unique challenge of students who lack reliable access to personal vehicles, it is evident that the Commonwealth can and should do more to fulfill the democratic promise for our student populations. This bill would help reduce long lines on election day on these campuses. The introduction of same-day registration in 2022 has led to increased lines on college campuses during elections, primarily due to the additional administrative time required for voter intake. By ensuring accessible early voting opportunities on college campuses, the Commonwealth can alleviate these long lines and ease the burden on our dedicated election workers.

Due to emergency, I am unable to be in Richmond, but would like to speak to the two bills noted. Thank you

Due to emergency, I am unable to be in Richmond, but would like to speak to the two bills noted. Thank you

Today, January 22, the House Privileges and Elections, Election Administration Subcommittee will consider: HB44, HB932, HB1200. The effectiveness of community-led advocacy to fight for clean air and water and the preservation of Virginia's abundant natural resources is inextricably connected to the freedom, fairness, and transparency of our democratic institutions and the ability of citizens to participate in them. We encourage you to OPPOSE HB44, HB932, HB1200. HB44 (Green), HB1200 (Scott), HB932 (Earley) Limiting Early Voting Window This Legislation Would: Reduce the number of in-person absentee voting days by 15 (HB44, Green) or 30 (HB932/HB1200) days.

The League opposes both HB932 and HB1200. The bills reduce Virginia’s 45-day early voting period to fourteen days. Federal law requires that the ballots must be ready to be mailed to military and overseas voters forty-five days before an election. Since the ballots are ready, regular eligible voters should be allowed to cast their ballots too.

Oppose. The period of absentee in-person voting sshould be 28 days, not 14.