Tag VIA

The 2024 General Assembly session has been challenging to say the least!

However, with a lot of research, testimony in front of the Privileges and Elections committees and
productive meetings with legislators, we were able to kill or stall numerous bad election bills.
Additionally, Governor Youngkin has already vetoed two bills that proposed to re-enter Virginia into a
harmful system called ERIC, and he has suggested amendments to one other bill. 11 bad bills and two
election related budget items remain in the queue for the Governor to take action on. We are appealing to Governor Youngkin to VETO these 11 bad bills and 2 budget items and we need your help!

Please take a moment to email the Governor and urge him to VETO the bills listed below. For your
convenience, you may use or adapt the email template below. Please be polite and respectful and include
the bill lists.

Send Emails to glenn.youngkin@governor.virginia.gov and
constituent.services@governor.virginia.gov or call 804 786-2211

[Your Name:]
[Your Address:]
[City, State ZIP Code:] [Date:]

The Honorable Governor Glenn Youngkin
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218

Dear Governor,
I am writing to you today to express my opposition to the 11 bills and 2 budget items listed below. These
bills if passed into law will weaken Virginia’s ability to keep our elections fair and secure. I have provided
the problems with each of the bills to show why your veto is crucially needed. Please veto all these bills.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Title, if applicable]
[Your Organization, if applicable]
[Your Phone Number and Email Address]

Veto HB 26 – Provides new non-verifiable ID for voting, issued by welfare contractors: The bill adds more types of “acceptable” Voter identification, from private organizations certified or licensed by the state, Social Services, Dept. of Health, Behavioral Health, Medical Assistance. Even if they are issued for other purposes, these ID cards should not be acceptable for voter identification.

Veto HB623 and HB1408 – Reduces local control of elections: Decisions about early voting satellite offices, even daily schedules and locations, are removed from local Electoral Boards who are accountable to the community, and instead put under the control of the state or board of supervisors.

Veto HB 904 and SB300 –Removes data matching methods and deadlines to weaken verification of voter registrations: These two bills weaken Virginia’s current Voter List Maintenance laws by eliminating deadlines specified in the current law for General Registrars and the state. Without the existing deadlines, standards will be weakened to maintain current and accurate Registered Voter Lists. Voters in other states or localities have to be identified using a limited set of criteria, reducing the number of potentially illegal voters that will be sent to Registrars to remove.

Veto HB 939 – Limits the Second Amendment: The prohibition of possessing a firearm is expanded from 40-feet out to 100-feet out from a polling location, electoral board meeting location, or drop box. Sponsors had no evidence-based justification for the expanded locations and distance.
Veto HB1454 and SB246 – Makes non-citizen voting easier: These two bills remove the identifying
features used to distinguish between citizen and non-citizen state-issued driver’s permits and special ID
cards and extends the valid use period to match real Driver’s License. These bills make it easier for
non-citizens to vote.

Veto HB1534 – Limits a voter’s right to challenge another voter’s registration: This bill removes a voter’s right to challenge the legitimacy of any voter’s registration directly to the Registrar. Instead three registered voters must challenge in Circuit Court earlier than 60 days before an election.

Veto SB428 – Suppresses voter’s choices through Ranked Choice Voting: This bill would further reduce transparency and accountability. Election officials would be forced to conduct any “Risk Limiting Audit” only on First-Rankings in an election. Some voters’ choices are already systematically suppressed with Ranked Choice Voting, because votes are eliminated. Ranked Choice Voting should not be an approved method for any elections in Virginia.

Veto SB364 – Limits the First Amendment: This bill could suppress protected speech criticizing
election administration. Election officials and electors are given special protected status, and vaguely
defined intimidation and “threats” are made causes for civil lawsuits. The bill is not needed to protect
election officials, because existing laws protect all persons from intimidation or threats, and even Biden’s
DOJ found that 89% of alleged “threats” against election officials were protected speech. No evidence
was submitted by sponsors of any actual threats made in Virginia against election officials.

Veto Budget Item 77#2c – Audits and Election Certification: F.1. and F.2. of this budget line item
would prohibit the critical ability to conduct a risk-limiting audit of Virginia presidential elections
and would delay certification of elections by expanding by multiple days the time frame that electoral
boards are given to complete election certification and other processes.

Veto Budget Item 77#3c – Funding for ERIC: This item provides $200,000 in funding for the bills
that have already been vetoed that would have re-entered Virginia into ERIC.