Third-party registration groups; registration, disclosure, and recordkeeping requirements, etc. (SB871)

Introduced By

Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Midlothian) with support from co-patron Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Winchester)

Progress

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

Description

Third-party registration groups; registration, disclosure, and recordkeeping requirements; compensation prohibition. Requires any individual or organization that will be distributing and collecting voter registration applications to register as a third-party registration group with the Department of Elections (the Department) prior to engaging in any voter registration activities. The bill requires volunteers and employees of third-party registration groups to register with the Department. The Department is required to issue a unique identification number to each third-party registration group, and each group shall assign its volunteers and employees a separate identification number. The bill requires these identification numbers to be included on voter registration applications collected by the third-party registration group. The bill also requires third-party registration groups to maintain a record containing information about all volunteers and employees engaging in voter registration activities on behalf of the group, each of whom is required to receive training and to maintain a log of his registration activities to be submitted with all completed applications collected. The bill prohibits the compensation of volunteers and employees on a per-application basis. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
12/12/2016Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102047D
12/12/2016Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/24/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB871)
01/24/2017Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (8-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
01/24/2017Committee substitute printed 17104630D-S1
01/24/2017Rereferred to Finance
01/25/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB871S1)
02/01/2017Passed by indefinitely in Finance (15-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)

Duplicate Bills

The following bills are identical to this one: HB1430 and HB1431.

Comments

Linda Oakey writes:

This is a terrible idea and clearly intended to make it difficult for third parties to run voter registration drives. Virginia should be trying to ensure that more citizens are registered, not limiting registration activities.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

Wow, what an evil bill.

Kevin Mullane writes:

This proposed legislation, along with HB1598, also introduced by Mr. Cole will have the effect of suppressing voter turnout. Both acts will discourage registration, with a disproportionate affect on the young, the disabled, and the elderly. If we believe in democracy, we should be supportive of efforts to encourage voter participation.

I have volunteered to register voters in the past, and see no advantage to larding the process with bureaucratic overhead.

Kevin Mullane writes:

Yesterday, Mr. Cole, in an interview with Ted Scheubel, broadcast on WFVA, repeated the notion that up to three million people voted illegally in the recent national elections. It is troublesome to hear that our Delegate, the Chair of the House Privileges and Elections Committee is informed by what has proven to be "fake news". See http://www.snopes.com/three-million-votes-in-presidential-election-cast-by-illegal-aliens/ for a thorough debunking of this challenge to the reputation and integrity of our American democracy. Putin delights in reading of such claptrap.

Cindy Vanderschaaf writes:

Seriously Mr. Cole...How do you sleep at night?? You are very sad little man to be parroting what has been proven false about 3 million illegal voters. You are a disgrace to our Republic, now oligarchy and with legislators like you...soon fascist state! I read this bill after seeing you squash all the gerrymandering legislation proposing fair redistricting. My mouth fell open in amazement at your gall to simply say you didn't think an independent fair redistricting could be done and therefore motioned to table it all !!! After NUMEROUS business organizations called for change and debate!! It was shocking to watch.

William Fleming writes:

Fowler's and the Republican HB1430 along with HB1431, HB 1598, and SB871 are yet more bricks in the voter suppression wall. They should be defeated. These are partisan government overreach, overregulation, expansion of government intrusiveness, costly of surveillance, Big Brother tactics, and denial of individual freedom.

Right Way Forward Virginia writes:

This unnecessary legislation would bombard organizations and individuals who engage in voter registration drives with burdensome disclosure and record-keeping requirements. The legislation would also needlessly interfere with the employment and compensation practices of non-profit organizations by prohibiting them from compensating registrars per valid registration. We oppose this bill.