Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday announced that he approved a voting rights bill in the commonwealth that would “protect and expand access to the ballot box.”
The legislation, which has been dubbed the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, “prohibits discrimination in elections administration, requires local election officials to get feedback or pre-approval for voting changes, and allows individuals to sue in cases of voter suppression,” the Democratic governor’s office said. The bill, which Northam’s cohort insists makes the commonwealth “the first state in the nation” to enact its own voting rights protections, also mandates that localities seek “pre-approval” from the attorney general before making poll changes and requires that fines assessed for violations be sent to “a newly-established Voter Education and Outreach Fund.”
Although Northam has approved the legislation, he made “minor technical amendments” to some of the text, state Legislature Democrats said in a statement, adding that those changes will be “finalized” during a veto session on April 7.
Northam said the bill would “restore and build” on provisions of the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court in 2013 overturned a provision mandating that certain states that had a history of racial discrimination, including Virginia, get advanced clearance before changing poll practices.
RALPH NORTHAM TO RESTORE VOTING RIGHTS OF 69,000 FORMER FELONS IN MAJOR SHIFT OF STATE LAW
“At a time when voting rights are under attack across our country, Virginia is expanding access to the ballot box, not restricting it,” Northam said in a statement. “With the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, our Commonwealth is creating a model for how states can provide comprehensive voter protections that strengthen democracy and the integrity of our elections. I am proud to support this historic legislation, and I urge Congress to follow Virginia’s example.”
The voting proposals include provisions to prevent localities from diluting “the voting power of racial minorities” and mandate that election officials provide ballots in foreign languages if needed. The governor’s office added that cities must “establish drop off locations for the return of absentee ballots” and “allow voters to fix mistakes they may have made” on their voting forms.
Northam’s move follows the passage of a Georgia election bill signed by Gov. Brian Kemp last week. The legislation, passed in the battleground state after President Joe Biden‘s victory there, will impose voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, give state officials authority to take over local elections boards, limit the use of ballot drop boxes, and make it a crime for politically affiliated persons to approach voters in line to give them food and water.
The American Civil Liberties Union, alongside other groups, sued Georgia on Tuesday, alleging the legislation “placed burdensome, unjustified, and unnecessary restrictions on voters, particularly voters of color and other historically disenfranchised communities.”
Conservative figures have instead insisted the newly enacted provisions curb voter fraud and contribute to election integrity.
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Northam in April 2020 signed a series of bills into law that expanded early voting, nixed the state’s voter ID laws, and made Election Day a holiday.
“Voting is a fundamental right, and these new laws strengthen our democracy by making it easier to cast a ballot, not harder,” the governor said at the time. “No matter who you are or where you live in Virginia, your voice deserves to be heard. I’m proud to sign these bills into law.”
