Members of Virginia New Majority and other liberal groups delivered petitions Thursday signed online by more than 6,000 people to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office urging him to veto two voting-related bills.
They ask him to reject Senate Bill 1, which would require voters who do not present identification at the polls on Election Day to cast provisional ballots, and House Bill 63, which would close to the media and the public electoral board meetings called to count provisional ballots.
The bills combined “will not only force more qualified Virginia voters to vote with a provisional ballot that may or may not get counted, but will also make that provisional ballot count process less transparent,” said Tram Nguyen, with Virginia New Majority. “We find that that’s very problematic.”
Proponents have argued that the identification bill is designed to prevent voter fraud.
Currently, a person who shows up at the polls without proper ID is allowed to vote normally after signing an affidavit swearing they’re a registered voter.
The Senate bill would require that the voters without ID at the polls on Election Day cast provisional ballots. Voters would have to provide identification at a later point if they want the vote to be counted.
The measure also expands the list of acceptable forms of identification.
Members of Virginia New Majority, the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Virginia Organizing and the Alliance for Progressive Values attended the news conference at the General Assembly building.
Olympia Meola
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