Voter registration; information required on voter registration application. (SB420)

Introduced By

Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) with support from co-patron Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church)

Progress

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

Description

Voter registration; information required on voter registration application; adjudication of incapacity or felony conviction. Removes the requirement that a person registering to vote who states that he was previously adjudicated incapacitated or convicted of a felony and that his right to vote has been restored additionally provide information regarding the circumstances under which his right to vote has been restored. Read the Bill »

Status

03/06/2016: Passed the General Assembly

History

DateAction
01/12/2016Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/16 16100355D
01/12/2016Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/18/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB420)
01/19/2016Reported from Privileges and Elections (9-Y 4-N) (see vote tally)
01/21/2016Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/25/2016Read second time and engrossed
01/26/2016Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 14-N) (see vote tally)
02/03/2016Placed on Calendar
02/03/2016Read first time
02/03/2016Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/08/2016Assigned P & E sub: Elections
02/16/2016Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 1-N)
02/26/2016Reported from Privileges and Elections (21-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
02/29/2016Read second time
03/01/2016Passed by for the day
03/02/2016Read third time
03/02/2016Passed House (85-Y 14-N)
03/02/2016VOTE: PASSAGE (85-Y 14-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2016Enrolled
03/03/2016Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB420ER)
03/03/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB420ER)
03/03/2016Signed by Speaker
03/06/2016Signed by President
03/07/2016Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 3/7/2016
03/07/2016G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, Sunday, April 10, 2016

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 6 minutes.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.

RELATING TO INFORMATION REQUIRED ON APPLICATION REPORTING TO THE COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): GENTLEMAN FROM SPOTSYLVANIA, MR. COLE.

Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER, THIS BILL ON VOTER REGISTRATION FORM WHEN SOMEONE HAS BEEN A FELON AND HAD RIGHTS RESTORED, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO STATE THAT YES, THEY'VE HAD THE RIGHTS RESTORED AND PROVIDE THE DATE. REQUIREMENT THAT THE DATE BE THIS WOULD REMOVE THE PROVIDED, AND THEY'D STILL HAVE TO STATE THAT THEY'VE HAD THEIR RIGHTS RESTORED AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS SAYS THE DATE IS NO LONGER REQUIRED. AND IT DOES THE SAME THING FOR MENTAL INCAPACITY. IF SOMEONE HAS BEEN ADJUDICATED THAT HAS BEEN MENTALLY INCAPACITATED AND INELIGIBLE TO VOTE, THEY'VE HAD TO STATE THEY'VE HAD THEIR VOTING RIGHTS RESTORED BUT WOULD NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE THE DATE OF THAT DECISION. I HOPE IT WILL BE THE WILL OF THE BODY TO PASS THE BILL.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THE GENTLEMAN FROM POWHATAN, MR. WARE.

Del. Lee Ware (R-Powhatan): MR. SPEAKER, WILL THE GENTLEMAN YIELD?

[Unknown]: I YIELD.

Del. Lee Ware (R-Powhatan): GENTLEMAN YIELDS.

[Unknown]: I ASK THE GENTLEMAN, HE'S INDICATED THAT THE DATE IS GOING TO BE DROPPED UP. I NOTE THREE WORDS, ALSO, STRICKEN FROM THE BILL, AT LEAST ONE THAT I HAVE ON LINE 21. INCAPACITATED, DISQUALIFIED OR CONVICTED OF A FELONY, AND IF SO, THE WORD STRICKEN ARE UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IT HAS BEEN RESTORED. AND THAT IS REPLACED BY THE WORD WHETHER. COULD THE GENTLEMAN EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE PURPORT OF THAT CHANGE IS? MR. SPEAKER, I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN PRACTICE. THE WAY IT WORKS NOW IS THAT DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS HAS A LIST OF FELONS WHO HAD RIGHTS RESTORED AND WHENEVER THEY REGISTER TO VOTE THEY'RE CHECKED AGAINST THAT LIST. IF THEY'RE ON LIST THEY'RE ALLOWED TO REGISTER TO VOTE REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THAT RESTORATION. WILL THE GENTLEMAN YIELD? I YIELD. GENTLEMAN YIELDS. MR. SPEAKER, IT IS PERPLEXING TO ME BECAUSE THAT PHRASE SEEMS TO BE A SUBSTANTIVE PHRASE. IF I UNDERSTOOD THE GENTLEMAN CORRECTLY THOSE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES WERE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED PRIOR TO THIS? MR. SPEAKER, I WOULD SAY THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. I AND THAT AGAIN, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HOW RIGHTS HAVE BEEN RESTORED THEY'D BE ON THE RESTORED VOTING LIGHTS LIST. MR. SPEAKER, MY, I'M NOT CLEAR DELEGATE SICKLES MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS QUESTION. WILL THE GENTLEMAN YIELD? GENTLEMAN YIELDS. I'M ASKING THE SAME QUESTION. I KNOW THE GENTLEMAN IS FAMILIAR WITH THIS. COULD YOU CLARIFY THIS? SO I CAN UNDERSTAND IT? WE DID PASS THIS BILL YESTERDAY BUT ON THAT FORM NOW, IT SAYS HAVE YOU EVER BEEN JUDGED -- SORRY. YOU'RE ON THE FELONY. THEY'VE NEVER ASKED A CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE THEY HAVE ASKED YOU FOR A FORM NOW UP UNTIL THIS POINT IS THE DATE. YOU CAN SEE THAT NUMBER FOUR ON THE FORM I JUST HANDED TO YOU. AND THE DATE WHENEVER WAS RESTORED, TECHNOLOGY HAS OVERCOME THE NEED TO REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE. 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO. IT'S IN THE ELECTRONIC BOOKS WE HAVE NOW. AND THEY'VE NEVER ASKED ON THIS FORM WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE. SO I THINK THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CODE CLEAN UP ON THE THE GOVERNOR DOES THE CIRCUMSTANCES. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS UNDER OUR SYSTEM. AND THE VOTER REGISTRATION FORM IS ONLY EVER ASKED FOR THE DATE AND THIS BILL WOULD JUST NOT REQUIRE THE DATE ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S IN THE SYSTEM. SO, MR. SPEAKER, ONE FINAL QUESTION IN A SENSE, I THINK I'M GETTING A POINT. WILL THE GENTLEMAN YIELD? I YIELD. GENTLEMAN YIELDS. SO ALL THOUGH THE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN IN THE CODE WE HAVE NOT OBSERVED IT AS FAR AS MEMORY GOES? MR. SPEAKER, I AM NOT SURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICS WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S NEVER BEEN OBSERVED BECAUSE I THINK IT'S TRUE THAT WE'VE NEVER ASKED FOR THEM TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES ON THE FORM. I THINK IT'S TRUE THAT ALL WE'VE HAD IS THIS FORM THAT HAS THE DATE ONLY. IF, YES, THE QUESTION IS HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY, IF YES, HAVE VOTING RIGHTS BEEN RESTORED, YES OR NO. IF YES, WHEN RESTORED AND THERE ARE BLANKS AND IT'S JUST, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CLEAN UP BECAUSE A REASONABLE PERSON WILL PROBABLY NOT REMEMBER THAT DATE. SO CIRCUMSTANCES COULD BE MANY THINGS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS NEVER REALLY ASKED THAT. THANK YOU MR. SPEAKER.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): SHALL THE BILL PASS? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYE, 85, NO, 14. THE BILL IS PASSED. MR. SPEAKER, SENATE BILLS

Comments

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

The ACLU of Virginia supports this bill.