Voter identification; information contained in electronic pollbook. (SB439)

Introduced By

Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg)

Progress

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

Description

Voter identification; photograph and identifying information contained in electronic pollbook; challenge of voter. Requires electronic pollbooks to contain a photograph and identifying information received by the Department of Elections from the Department of Motor Vehicles for each registered voter for whom the Department of Motor Vehicles has such a photograph and identifying information. The bill prohibits lists of voters furnished pursuant to current law from containing any voter's photograph or identifying physical information. The bill also provides that if the electronic pollbook contains the voter's photograph and identifying information, the officer of election is required to access that photograph and identifying information and the voter is not required to present one of the statutorily required forms of identification however, the bill requires the officer of election to challenge the voter's vote if the voter does not appear to be the same person depicted in the photograph or in the pollbook. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2017. Read the Bill »

Status

02/02/2016: Failed to Pass in Committee

History

DateAction
01/12/2016Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/16
01/12/2016Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/16 16101744D
01/12/2016Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/02/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB439)
02/02/2016Continued to 2017 in Privileges and Elections (13-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)

Comments

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

The ACLU of Virginia opposes this bill.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

Huh. I haven't thought this through much, so I don't know if it's a good idea, but I give Sen. Obenshain credit for thinking a little differently about this. I suppose the real question here is how a voter goes about getting photographed in order to participate in this system.