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.

Chair and Members of the Subcommittee, I urge you to support HB 982 (Garrett) and HB 868 (Cousins), which require clear disclosure when political communications use synthetic or AI-generated audio or visual media. These bills address a growing and urgent threat to election integrity. Deepfake and AI-generated content can convincingly depict candidates saying or doing things that never occurred. Without clear labeling, such material can mislead voters, distort public opinion, and undermine trust in the electoral process. Requiring disclosure helps voters recognize manipulated content and improves the accuracy of information upon which elections depend. HB 982 and HB 868 take a measured, commonsense approach. They do not prohibit the use of artificial intelligence in campaigns. Instead, they require electioneering communications containing synthetic media to include a conspicuous statement informing voters that the content has been altered or artificially generated and may depict conduct or speech that did not occur. This preserves free expression while ensuring transparency. The bills also include appropriate enforcement mechanisms, including civil penalties for violations and stronger consequences for willful misconduct, as well as a limited right for voters to seek injunctive relief to prevent the continued dissemination of deceptive material. These provisions deter bad actors while remaining narrowly tailored. Virginia would not be acting alone. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, most states now either require disclosure of synthetic media in political advertising or restrict deceptive deepfakes within defined pre-election periods. Public support is strong: a 2021 Wason Center poll found that 88 percent of Virginians support full disclosure in campaign practices, and national polling shows overwhelming opposition to misleading AI-generated political media and strong support for labeling such content. Elections depend on informed voters. Disclosure of AI-generated campaign media is a necessary update to existing transparency standards and an important step toward protecting electoral legitimacy. I respectfully ask the Subcommittee to vote “yes” on HB 982 and HB 868 and ensure these bills advance. Thank you for your service and consideration.

I support the notion of prohibiting faked visuals of candidates or their supporters during a campaign. However, I feel the bill will be mostly window-dressing unless there are additional specificiations about penalties. By the time any corrective action is taken, it will tend to be too late. Further, I strongly believe that the maximum amount of the penalty must be commensurate with the size of the total campaign budget for a given individual. In current dollars, a max of $25,000 would probably deter a local election. It would be a worthwhile expense for state or national elections. For those, a penalty closer to 20 percent of the final campaign budget would be more appropriate, and could be used to publish correcting information in public media.

I support all legislation to remove big money from all election campaigns. I ask that you serve us, the people, not just those with wealth or corporate power. All the people.

The League of Women Voters urges you to report HB212. The bill improves the process for protecting all the people who run Virginia’s elections from intimidation, bribery, coercion or threats. Basically, the bill acknowledges how hard it is to prove that someone WILLFULLY committed one of the crimes enumerated in the statute. A prosecutor would still need to prove intent, which is difficult enough, without also proving what was going on inside that person’s head. We staunchly support our election officials and ask that you report the bill. The League of Women Voters strongly supports legislation that controls misleading political speech, however formatted. Beyond disguising its sponsors, altered media content sends messages that often deviates sharply from the original meaning and intent. In the current media environment, content can “go viral” in seconds, which increases the risk of spreading misleading or flat-out wrong information. A well-informed electorate is essential to a healthy democracy but it must be an accurately-informed electorate. Knowing that content has been altered or manipulated is essential to informed and thoughtful decisions. The League of Women Voters strongly supports HB868 and HB982. The League opposes HB 1056. It is a strength of current Virginia voting law that voters do NOT register by political party, which allows any registered voter to vote in either primary. Open primaries invite independents, who are a majority of all voters, to participate and have been shown to increase voter engagement and turnout. Yes, spoiler voters might affect an outcome but that is both uncommon and could affect both parties equally. Also, the bill suggests that the political parties could write rules controlling who votes in a state-run primary election, which is a disturbing prospect in a democracy.

I support HB868 and HB982 and encourage the committee to support these bills as well. As an IT professional, I see the expanding capabilities of Artificial Intelligence daily. In my personal life, I also see its capabilities on social media. I believe that the continued use of generative AI videos, audio, or photos is a great threat to our commonwealth and country, and proper labeling to bring transparency is one step in the right direction. Please help protect our elections by supporting these bills. Lauren Bowen

I am opposed to the use of AI in the use of political advertising. I am also opposed to deceptive messaging, hate-mongering, and propaganda of all kinds.

SUPPORT - The public needs to have strong confidence in our electoral processes. The ease in which disinformation can be created and spread requires strong oversight and penalties. Bill HB868 supports "truth in elections", I support this bill.

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.

I wholeheartedly support Delegate Cousins's bill that addresses the use of artificial intelligence or "synthetic media" in campaign advertisements. In this era of misinformation, disinformation, and obfuscation, we need maximum transparency in order to make judgments informed not only by our biases and emotions but also by our human intelligence.

I am Jessica Mott of Arlington VA, representing We of Action VA. I urge you to support HB868 which requires that any electioneering communications containing synthetic media contain the following phrase: " This message contains synthetic media that has been altered from its original source or artificially generated and may present conduct or speech that did not occur." Voters need to be able to make informed decisions on how to vote, and if not disclosed, synthetic media can distort facts and associated opinions of voters, and undermine voters' trust in the electoral process, and this bill would address this need. Many legislators have noted to me the problems they have encountered with AI-generated misinformation. This bill has widespread support and no down sides.

My name is Nancy Morgan, and I’m the coordinator of BigMoneyOutVA, an all volunteer, none partisan organization. I support of Del Cousins bill (HB868) because I believe Virginians deserve honest elections and clear information when they cast their votes. Artificial intelligence and so-called “deepfake” technology are no longer theoretical threats. We are already seeing AI-generated videos, images, and audio used in campaigns across the country—sometimes depicting candidates saying or doing things they never did. These materials can look and sound real, and without disclosure, voters have no reliable way to know what they’re seeing has been manipulated. This bill does not ban speech. It simply requires transparency. A clear disclosure gives voters the context they need to evaluate political messages for themselves. That strengthens—not weakens—free speech by improving the accuracy of the information in our public discourse. Virginia would not be acting alone. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, most states now either require disclosure when synthetic media is used in campaign materials or prohibit deceptive deepfakes during defined pre-election periods. This legislation follows an emerging national consensus that voters should not be tricked by undisclosed synthetic media. Elections depend on informed decision-making. When AI-generated content is shared without labels, it can distort public opinion, unfairly influence voters, and erode trust in the democratic process. Disclosure helps preserve fair competition and the legitimacy of our elections. Making disclosure mandatory—and attaching meaningful penalties for noncompliance—also discourages bad actors who intentionally seek to deceive voters. Finally, this bill aligns with what Virginians want. A Wason Center poll found that 88 percent of Virginians support full disclosure in campaign finance. National polling shows large majorities of Americans are concerned that AI will increase misinformation in elections, and more than 80 percent believe it is wrong for candidates to use false or misleading media in political ads. Many support clear labeling of AI-generated content. This is a reasonable, voter-focused response to a rapidly changing technology. I urge you to support this bill and help ensure that Virginia elections remain transparent, fair, and worthy of the public’s trust.

I support all legislation to remove big money from all election campaigns. I ask that you serve us, the people, not just those with wealth or corporate power. All the people.

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 support all legislation to remove big money from all election campaigns. I ask that you serve us, the people, not just those with wealth or corporate power. All the people.

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 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.

I serve as campaign treasurer for several of your colleagues in the general assembly along with many of our local candidates in Fairfax. I’m grateful for this body’s work in recent years improving the integrity and transparency of campaign finance in Virginia, through the prohibition on personal spending and through the new finance report review requirements, which I’m sure some of your treasurers are working through right now. I’m writing today in support and gratitude for Delegate Seibold’s bill HB1348. Simply removing one sentence from current campaign finance law should ease an unnecessary burden on treasurers and campaigns, while not dramatically impacting transparency. The Large Pre-Election Contribution reporting requirement is one that keeps volunteers like me up at night. While managing a busy work schedule, responsibilities in other volunteer capacities, and the challenges of daily life, I and other treasurers spend the final 12 days before Election Day in daily communication with campaigns and monitoring contribution platforms and bank accounts to ensure that we identify and report all large contributions received by the end of the next day. When I receive that mid-Friday fundraising email, you can bet I’m logging in on Saturday morning to see what contributions came in. I like the transparency this reporting requirement provides. Filling in the gap between the most recent finance report period and Election Day, without requiring a full daily report, the Large Pre-Election Contribution report provides useful information to campaigns and the public about who is financing their candidates; and while the “next day” reporting deadline can be challenging, I believe it strikes a fair balance. However, there is currently an additional burden on the day before Election Day, requiring that any large contributions received on that day be reported on the same day. While I understand the logic of that requirement, it places a substantial burden on campaigns and treasurers and sets them up for failure. Some contribution platforms only provide notifications in daily batches the following morning; some donors’ notifications come late or hit a spam filter; and some campaigns may receive a large contribution late that night; (and sometimes your reliable volunteer treasurer just isn’t available late that night). Removing this requirement would not eliminate transparency as the large contribution report would still be required by the next day, Election Day, but it would offer relief for campaigns struggling with the “same day” deadline while continuing to provide the public with accurate, reliable reporting. Thank you, Delegate Seibold for introducing this legislation, and thank you all for everything you do to make Virginia a great place to call home.