Richmond, Virginia—Voters should feel more secure today knowing that Republican attempts to restrict voting rights were voted down in the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee. Several bills to do everything, from limiting the absentee voting period to requiring photo identification to vote and making it more difficult to register to vote on Election Day, were dismissed by Democrats on the committee. We’re thrilled that voters have been protected and will continue to work to ensure that everyone who wants to vote is able to make their voice heard in our elections. 

“Republicans have learned the wrong lessons over the last few years. Instead of making their policies more popular so people will actually want to vote for them, they’ve decided to make it harder to vote so they can hold their tenuous grip on power,” LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director at Progress Virginia, said. “We’re grateful to the Senate Democrats on the Privileges and Elections Committee for voting down these anti-voter bills and protecting the right to vote for us all. We’ll continue to work until all voters, regardless of their race, income level, ability status, or zip code, are able to access the ballot box in every election.” 

Background: 

SB32, sponsored by Senator Mark Peake, was defeated by a vote of 8-6. The bill would have required social security numbers to match what is written on voter registration forms. In practice, this would mean that voters could have their registrations canceled due to typos and human error. 

SB42, also sponsored by Senator Peake, was defeated by a margin of 8-6. This bill would have limited the absentee voting period to just the three weeks before Election Day. Currently, absentee voting is allowed up to forty-five days before Election Day to ensure that there is plenty of time for everyone to add voting to their busy schedules. 

SB45, sponsored by Senator Peake, and SB81, sponsored by Senator John McGuire, both would have required photo identification before being allowed to vote. SB45 were incorporated. This would make it hard for people who don’t drive, especially older people, to vote in our elections. These bills were defeated by a margin of 8-6. 

SB92, sponsored by Senator Peake, would make it impossible to register to vote on Election Day. This would be a hardship for many voters, particularly for college students. This bill was defeated by a vote of 8-6. 

Virginia moved from being ranked the 49th hardest place to vote in the country to being ranked 11th after Democrats passed pro-voter legislation to make it easier to vote.