Last year, the General Assembly passed a law to close a loophole that had allowed Virginians to vote without presenting identification. But the law also greatly expanded the list of acceptable IDs to include utility bills, bank statements, government checks, paychecks, concealed weapons permits and student IDs.
Many of those forms of identification would be removed under HB1337, leaving voter registration cards, Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, government-issued IDs and photo workplace IDs as forms accepted at the polls.
SB1256 would apply a stricter standard, requiring that voters present photo identification. Voters would need a government-issued photo ID that includes their address, such as driver’s license or passport, a photo ID from a Virginia college or university, or a workplace ID bearing a photo. As part of the bill, the commonwealth would provide, free of charge, voter registration cards with photographs. The current registration cards, which do not have photos, would no longer be accepted.
Republicans pushing for tighter ID standards cited the need to protect the integrity of elections. They pointed to an undercover 2012 campaign video in which the son of Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) can be heard discussing how a utility bill could be used to commit voter fraud. The office of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) and Arlington police investigated but did not charge the congressman’s son, Patrick Moran.
Patrick Moran was an idiot and James Keefe and company are sleaze bags. Because sleaze bags and idiots have a conversation is no reason to create new laws. It is noteworthy that Patrick was NOT charged so nothing illegal transpired. It isn’t illegal to have conversation–yet. So why are the legislators having this knee jerk reaction? Could it be to embarrass Patrick’s father, Rep. Jim Moran?
The lawmakers in both parties should be trying to make it easier to vote. This past election Virginia voters waited in long lines, some as long as 7 hours just to cast a vote. Access to voting should never take 7 hours. Why would Virginia legislators be fixing a problem where none exists? Why would they not be standing on their heads to make sure that the election of 2012 NEVER happens again. Americans should never have to wait in long lines just to vote. We aren’t a third world country.
The longest lines tended to happen in working class neighborhoods, where people couldn’t afford to take the day off to vote. Therefore the lines formed during peak voting times,when people were coming home from work. Non-professional workers don’t have the flex time that the “ties” have when they go to work. I often wonder if these things aren’t planned.
Virginia missed the opportunity to make certain Virginia voters spent less time in line. It looks like federal law might come to the rescue of voters, accorting to Senator Mark Warner’s website:
The extremely long lines and wait times that many Virginia voters experienced at the polls last November were unacceptable. While I’m disappointed the Virginia General Assembly last week failed to act on state-level legislation to begin implementing many of these commonsense reforms, that doesn’t mean we should stop fighting for election reforms,” Senator Warner said. “The FAST Voting Act addresses election reform in a responsible way: it does not impose new mandates, and authorizes additional resources for states that step-up with reforms to make voting faster and accessible to more voters. We should be looking for opportunities to improve voting access, and voters should not have to wait in line for hours to exercise this fundamental right.”
So next election when there is a heavy turn out, voters can expect new rules and nothing has been done on a state level to make those lines any shorter. Voters better have those picture IDs. Bring your own lawn chair and a couple picnic dinners. Hopefully the Fast Voting Act will have been passed by then.
More reading at fredericksburg.com
A lot of people from both parties will quit voting it the Repugs make the process complicated and time-consuming.
I think that is what Republicans are hoping.
People stand in lines for days under threat of death in other countries. We can’t handle a little inconvenience?
It should be as easy as pie to vote. A party that is afraid of the voters is a failed party. I’ll be happy when the Republican Party is doing every creative thing in its power to find new voters and make voting an easy, stress-free experience.
I think voting should be a national holiday or move it to the prior weekend…two days to vote.
Excellent idea.
How many folks would go hunting instead of voting?
Too bad voting isn’t more portable, at least within state. We have been able to put man on the moon since 1969. Tell me why people can’t vote by mail or from another state polling place?
Agreed, Cargo. Giving it status as a National Holiday would be consistent with our reverence for democratic principles.
Good point, Cargo.
Perhaps they should make Election Day November 11th. Then Armistice Day (as I know it) or Veterans’ Day (as the youngsters refer to it) would be dedicated each year to exercising the franchise. This would bring honour on the Veterans a bit more than a Mattress Sale at the local strip mall.
Or move it to tax day….. 😉