Voter identification; electronic pollbooks to contain photographs of voters, effective clause. (SB523)

Introduced By

Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg)

Progress

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

Description

Voter identification; electronic pollbooks to contain photographs of voters. Requires electronic pollbooks to contain the photographs of registered voters that are obtained by the general registrars in the production of voter photo identification cards or contained in a voter's Department of Motor Vehicles record. The bill also provides that if the electronic pollbook contains the voter's photograph, the officer of election is required to access that photograph and the voter is not required to present one of the statutorily required forms of identification. The bill prohibits lists of voters furnished pursuant to current law from containing any voter's photograph. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2019. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/09/2018Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/18 18103159D
01/09/2018Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/16/2018Impact statement from DPB (SB523)
01/16/2018Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
01/16/2018Rereferred to Finance
01/24/2018Reported from Finance with amendment (8-Y 5-N) (see vote tally)
01/25/2018Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/26/2018Read second time
01/26/2018Reading of amendment waived
01/26/2018Committee amendment agreed to
01/26/2018Engrossed by Senate as amended SB523E
01/26/2018Printed as engrossed 18103159D-E
01/29/2018Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N) (see vote tally)
01/31/2018Placed on Calendar
01/31/2018Read first time
01/31/2018Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/06/2018Impact statement from DPB (SB523E)
02/08/2018Assigned P & E sub: Subcommittee #1
02/20/2018Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment (4-Y 2-N)
02/20/2018Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
02/23/2018Reported from Privileges and Elections with amendment (12-Y 9-N) (see vote tally)
02/23/2018Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/23/2018Assigned App. sub: General Government & Capital Outlay
02/26/2018Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (8-Y 0-N)
03/06/2018Left in Appropriations

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 12 minutes.

Comments

Sue Mosher writes:

A similar bill was passed by the General Assembly last year and vetoed by the governor, with good reason: This could be the first step toward allowing challenges at the polls based on a voter's appearance. (We all know how good DMV photos are, right?) It would require additional training for poll workers and would add costs at both state and local levels. I am strongly against this bill.

Old Redneck writes:

Bad bill. Should be killed.

Where does the EPB get the photo? What happens when voter changes appearance -- hair color, hair style, glasses, whatever.

Just another attempt by Obenshain to make it difficult for people to vote.