Elections; identification to register to vote and present at polls. (HB1788)

Introduced By

Del. Rob Bell (R-Charlottesville) with support from co-patron Del. John A. Cox (R-Ashland)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Elections; identification to register to vote and to vote. Requires that an applicant to register to vote must present proof of citizenship with his registration application. The bill provides that any person who is registered in Virginia as of January 1, 2014, is deemed to have provided satisfactory proof of citizenship and provides a method for applicants who do not possess and cannot afford a document proving citizenship to obtain such proof for free. The bill also amends the type of identification a voter must present to vote at the polls. All such identification must contain the voter's name, date of birth, and photograph; must be issued by the United States or the Commonwealth; and must contain an expiration date that is unexpired or that expired only after the most recent general election. The bill also requires that the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue a free special identification card to voters who do not possess and cannot afford the necessary photo identification. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2014. Read the Bill »

Status

02/01/2013: Merged into HB1337

History

DateAction
01/08/2013Committee
01/08/2013Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/13 13103250D
01/08/2013Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/10/2013Impact statement from VCSC (HB1788)
01/11/2013Assigned P & E sub: Elections Subcommittee
01/29/2013Subcommittee recommends incorporating (HB1337-Cole)
02/01/2013Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HB1337-Cole)

Comments

ACLU-VA Voting Rights, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

The ACLU of Virginia strongly opposes legislation that places unnecessarily burdensome and unconstitutional identification requirements on voters at an unprecedented cost to the state. More than 21 million Americans of voting age lack documentation that would satisfy photo ID laws and a disproportionate number of these Americans are low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, and elderly. Assuming national statistics apply to Virginia, over 600,000 Virginians would be disenfranchised because they do not have a government-issued ID.
Mandating proof of citizenship may also impose insurmountable burdens to qualified voters. More than 13 million Americans or over 388,000 Virginians do not have ready access to proof of their citizenship-including married women who have changed their names or low-income citizens.
The ACLU believes that laws requiring photo ID or proof of citizenship to vote are a solution in search of a problem. There is no credible evidence that in-person voter impersonation fraud–-the only type of fraud that photo IDs could prevent-–is even a minor problem in Virginia. Further, proof of citizenship laws prevent American citizens from voting rather than stopping non-citizens from attempting to vote illegally, which evidence shows to be illusory. A free voter ID and/or proof of citizenship would be available, but only for individuals who sign an affidavit swearing to their indigence. Under court precedent, it is unconstitutional to condition the right to vote on the willingness of voters to pay for an ID or swear that they are unable to afford one.

rural virginia resident writes:

WE ARE RURAL FAMILY IN HONORABLE MR BELL'S DISTRICT.

WE ARE ELECTION OFFICIALS IN MR BELL'S DISTRICT.

WE STRONGLY OPPOSE THIS UN-NEEDED, TROUBLE-MAKING LEGISLATION.

OUR RURAL PRECINCTS HAVE MANY ELDERLY, DISABLED, AND POOR PEOPLE - WHO DO NOT DRIVE (SO, NO DRIVERS LICENSE), WHO DO NOT WORK IN PLACES THAT ISSUE PHOTO IDS, WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION TO GO SIGN AFFIDAVITS, ETC

WE ARE DEEPLY ASHAMED OF MR BELL, WHO IS OTHERWISE A SMART AND PLEASANT-ENOUGH PERSON TO SPEAK WITH.

MR BELL, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!