The ACLU of Virginia today expressed concern about the implementation of Virginia’s new voter ID law, SB 1256, and its impact on voters’ access to the polls. The ACLU provided public comment at this afternoon’s State Board of Elections meeting.
“The integrity of our electoral process is paramount,” said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Claire Guthrie Gastañaga. “And part of maintaining the integrity of the process is ensuring that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote. As the State Board of Elections considers new regulations to implement SB 1256, we urge its members to keep in mind that voting is a fundamental right and that elections should be fair, free and accessible to all Virginians.”
Reiterating requests made in a May 7 letter to the State Board of Elections, ACLU of Virginia Legislative Counsel and Staff Attorney Hope Amezquita called on the Board to hold public meetings across the Commonwealth to allow citizens to comment on the rules implementing the free ID and voter outreach provisions of the new voter ID law.
She also urged the Board to provide additional training and resources to local registrars and election workers given the changes to election law within the past few years. In the ACLU’s experience through its Election Day hotline, common complaints and voter confusion could be reduced if poll workers were more fully trained. Additionally, the ACLU asks the Board to provide multilingual voter education and outreach materials.
The May 7 letter to the State Board of Elections was sent by the ACLU of Virginia on behalf of nearly a dozen organizations, including: Virginia Organizing, the League of Women Voters of Virginia, Fair Elections Legal Network, Richmond NAACP, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, NALEO Education Fund, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Alliance for Progressive Values, Project Vote, and Virginia Coalition for Latino Organizations (VACOLAO).
A copy of the letter can be found online at: https://acluva.org/wp-content/
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