GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 1455, which criminalizes the act of giving or receiving any monetary payment in exchange for registering to vote.

This activity is already criminalized under federal law and there is no evidence this activity is occurring in the Commonwealth or having any impacts on our elections. The bill does not define monetary payment which could make it a crime to participate in lawful activities such as offering or receiving a ride to a voter registration office.

Senate Bill 1455 is unnecessary. It is a bill in search of a problem. We should not make election laws for Virginians without evidence of the need for a change. Instead, we should work together to focus our efforts on ensuring that all of our citizens are able to fully participate in the democratic process.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.