RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam has signed landmark new laws to repeal Virginia’s voter ID law, make Election Day a state holiday in Virginia, and expand access to early voting.
Governor Northam signed these bills:
- House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 111, sponsored by House Majority Leader Charniele Herring and Senator Janet Howell, respectively, allow early voting 45 days prior to an election without a stated excuse. Virginia currently requires voters who wish to vote absentee to provide the state with a reason, from an approved list, why they are unable to vote on Election Day.
- House Bill 19 and Senate Bill 65, sponsored by Delegate Joe Lindsey and Senator Mamie Locke, respectively, remove the requirement that voters show a photo ID prior to casting a ballot. Voter ID laws disenfranchise individuals who may not have access to photo identification, and disproportionately impact low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.
- House Bill 108 and Senate Bill 601, sponsored by Delegate Joe Lindsey and Senator Louise Lucas, respectively, make Election Day a state holiday, which will help ensure every Virginian has the time and opportunity to cast their ballot. In order to maintain the same number of state holidays, this measure repeals the current Lee-Jackson Day holiday, established over 100 years ago to honor Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
- House Bill 235 and Senate Bill 219, sponsored by Delegate Joshua Cole and Senator David Marsden, respectively, implement automatic voter registration for individuals accessing service at a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office or the DMV website.
- House Bill 238 and House Bill 239, sponsored by Delegate Mark Sickles, and Senate Bill 455, sponsored by Senator Bryce Reeves, expand absentee voting timelines to ensure access to the polls.
- House Bill 1678, sponsored by Delegate Joe Lindsey, extends in-person polling hours from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Douglas
April 12, 2020 @ 2:25 pm
You dirty BASTARD.
Wyatt Fitzwater
April 13, 2020 @ 12:28 pm
No bills should be voted on or signed into law while the people are quarantined and can’t get out to protest.
Sarah Wilburn
April 12, 2020 @ 2:30 pm
How does a person prove who they are without showing SOME form of ID? This is insanity!
Not Sarah wilburn
April 12, 2020 @ 9:34 pm
They walk in and say their name
Don Bolen
April 13, 2020 @ 8:53 am
There are limited occasions where this Bill will allow a citizen whose lost their photo ID to vote. However, I believe the main reason for this Bill is so citizens who won’t get any type of photo ID for many nefarious reasons, citizens not eligible to vote, and those just too lazy to get an ID can go to the polls and vote, not democratically, but for Democrats. Hopefully, there will continue to be a register from which a name given can be verified as a registered voter.
Jerry
April 12, 2020 @ 6:42 pm
That’s the STUPID DEMOCRAT way, idiots!
Robert Belch
April 12, 2020 @ 8:11 pm
That son of a bitch. His day will come. He has now pissed off all. But his Democrats and liberals an ass holes.
Sharon
April 12, 2020 @ 10:38 pm
Thank you Gov Northam for bringing to us, with our legislators; logic, reason, intelligence and fairness back to our state. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Doug
April 14, 2020 @ 1:03 pm
Voter fraud, the only way they win
J
April 13, 2020 @ 2:46 am
I am now going to vote many many many times and the state won’t have the tools to stop me . Mwah- ha-ha-ha !!
Rainman
April 13, 2020 @ 4:51 am
We need to take this to the Supreme Court. A ticket for mass voter fraud in Virginia.
KAREN
April 13, 2020 @ 6:46 am
how about asking the voters you dirty demoRAT
karen
April 13, 2020 @ 6:47 am
FAIRNESS? NOT
Retha Rish
April 13, 2020 @ 7:03 am
This is just the legislative way for the Democrats to cheat. They can’t win an election on policy- cheat to get in then change the rules- a page from their play book. We have got to vote these fools out- you cannot even prove that the early voting are Virginians- let alone alive. Who is watching the hen house??? I think the FOX
Hayman
April 13, 2020 @ 8:42 am
I think it’s time to leave Virginia beltway folks to their own demise and move our free counties to West Virginia.
If we don’t need voter ID, why drivers license, why do we need state inspection, why do we need back ground checks to purchase a weapon. To me no voter ID is saying that our laws have no value. Next they will tell you they will vote for you because you don’t know what’s best. Very sad. No matter how many times it’s been trying communism has never worked. It is never good for the people. Only works for dictators.
Used to live in Virginia, bur got out
April 13, 2020 @ 12:00 pm
This is incredibly racist. Every African American I know has an ID of some sort. And here we see Democrats saying Well since poor people are mainly the African Americans in Virginia, they are too poor to get their picture taken or too dumb to get an ID. How incredibly racist by these politicians to say this is their reasoning for this. Again….EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN I KNOW HAS AN ID. Why? Because they arent dumb and they are not too poor to het a picture taken. These liberals are to woke for their own good that they dont even realize how racist they are. But hey…Im not the governor that likes to dress up as a KKK member or Blackface. So what the hell do I know.
Doug
April 14, 2020 @ 1:04 pm
On right behind you, getting the hell out
Tim
April 14, 2020 @ 11:54 pm
The rallying cry for the Congressionally declared civil war against the democrats will be: “WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE THEIR SHIT!”
Patricia Via
April 17, 2020 @ 3:56 pm
Governor Northam is a disgrace to the office! He has NO INTEREST in Virginia WHATSOEVER, he’s a puppet! NO SOCIALISM! Countries like Cuba can tell you! They aren’t even allowed 1 steak to BBQ! VOTE DEMS OUR VA, THEY DONT CARE ABOUT US AT ALL!
William Cooper
July 8, 2020 @ 3:25 pm
He’s overstepped his bounds once again ……….why is the GOP electorate not holding him in check?