Virginia House-passed voter ID, other changes head to Senate for consideration

(The Center Square) – The Virginia House of Delegates passed a voter identification bill and several other bills that would change voting rules in the commonwealth, which will now head to the Senate for consideration.

Each of the bills narrowly passed on 52-48 party-line votes with every Republican supporting the measures and every Democrat opposing the measures. The bills could have trouble getting through Senate committees or being passed on the Senate floor because Democrats narrowly control the Senate.

House Bill 1090, sponsored by Del. Michael Webert, R-Marshall, would require voters to show a photo identification in order to vote. This would change the current law, which only requires a person to sign a statement to confirm his identification.

Most of the changes would scale back absentee voting, which had previously been expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Bill 39, sponsored by Del. Phillip Scott, R-Spotsylvania, would limit the duration in which a person can submit absentee votes in-person. During the pandemic, early voting was extended to 45 days before the election. Under the House-passed legislation, absentee in-person voting would be limited to just two weeks before the election and people could vote early on Monday through Saturday during those weeks from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Another bill would require a stricter deadline for returning absentee ballots. House Bill 956, sponsored Del. Dave LaRock, R-Loudoun, would only allow ballots to be counted if they are received by the time polls close on election day. Under the current law, ballots received by noon on the third day after election day are still counted as long as it was postmarked on or before election day.

House Bill 177, sponsored by Del. Robert Bloxom, R-Accomack, would require that a person include his social security number and date of birth on his absentee ballot. It would keep the requirement for a witness signature on the ballot and end the state-of-emergency exemption for the witness.

House Bill 528, sponsored by Del. Amanda Batten, R-Toano, would change the rules regarding third-party organizations sending unsolicited absentee ballots to Virginia voters. They would be required to include direction on how to properly fill out the information, but would not be allowed to send the ballot with information already filled out. They would also be required to note that it is being sent by a third party and not a government agency.

Another bill sponsored by Webert, House Bill 196, would end the permanent absentee voter list, which currently allows a person to sign up to receive absentee ballots for every election. The law would require a person to request a ballot in each election.

Republicans have argued the rules will ensure greater election security, but Democrats have argued they scale back voting rights.

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