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2019 SESSION

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(HB2034)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

 

    Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2034. This legislation would require electoral boards to petition the circuit court for the removal of a general registrar.

       

    Virginia law already provides specific circumstances in which a registrar can be removed. House Bill 2034 would allow only the circuit court to remove a general registrar at the request of a majority of the members of the State Board of Elections or local electoral board. This legislation makes the process of removing a general registrar more onerous, costly, and time consuming and could have unintended consequences. The legislation removes the ability for immediate or emergency removal of a general registrar in situations when warranted. Such emergency removal prevents a registrar from egregiously breaking the law or committing other inappropriate acts to hold his or her position until a judicial process has taken place. Furthermore, this bill requires personnel issues, often delicate, to be discussed in a public forum. House Bill 2034 puts the integrity of Virginia’s elections in question.

       

    This legislation has far too many unintended consequences. We should work together to create a solution that would benefit electoral boards, general registrars, and most importantly the voters of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

       

    Accordingly, I veto this bill.