Governor Northam vetoes legislation that would restrict voting access

RICHMOND—Governor Northam vetoed House Bill 2764 and Senate Bill 1038, both of which would create unnecessary obstacles to voter registration and undermine Virginians’ voting rights. The Governor’s full veto statements are below.

House Bill 2764

March 22, 2019
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2764. This legislation would have required a person who assists an individual with a voter registration application or collects completed applications to provide their name, telephone number, and name of the group or organization with which they are affiliated.

Virginia law already requires the individual or group assisting applicants with voter registrations to provide the applicant a receipt with their name and contact information, and including this individual’s information on the actual voter registration application is unnecessary. If this contact information is missing from the application, it could potentially lead to denied or delayed applications. Eligible voters should not have their constitutional right challenged because their application did not include contact information for the volunteer who assisted them in their registration.

This legislation places an additional, unnecessary, and burdensome requirement on those facilitating or participating in voter registration drives. The exercise of voting rights is fundamental to the strength of our democracy, and at every opportunity, Virginia must strongly depart from its history of mounting obstacles to the voting booth. We must clearly demonstrate that the registration of eligible voters in the Commonwealth is welcomed and encouraged.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.
Sincerely,
Ralph S. Northam

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: (all summaries)
Voter registration; persons assisting with completion or collection of completed voter registration applications; certain identifying information required. Requires any person who assists an applicant with the completion of a paper voter registration application or collects a completed paper voter registration application directly from an applicant to provide his name and telephone number and indicate the group or organization with which he is affiliated, if any, on the registration application. The bill prohibits any registration application from being denied on the basis of such information not being provided. The measure exempts from such requirement any state or local government employee who assists with the completion of registration applications or who collects completed registration applications as part of his official duties. The identifying information of the person assisting with the completion of an application or collecting a completed paper application shall not be entered into the registration record of the applicant.