GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2764. This legislation would have required a person who assists an individual with a voter registration application or collects completed applications to provide their name, telephone number, and name of the group or organization with which they are affiliated.

Virginia law already requires the individual or group assisting applicants with voter registrations to provide the applicant a receipt with their name and contact information, and including this individual’s information on the actual voter registration application is unnecessary. If this contact information is missing from the application, it could potentially lead to denied or delayed applications. Eligible voters should not have their constitutional right challenged because their application did not include contact information for the volunteer who assisted them in their registration.

This legislation places an additional, unnecessary, and burdensome requirement on those facilitating or participating in voter registration drives. The exercise of voting rights is fundamental to the strength of our democracy, and at every opportunity, Virginia must strongly depart from its history of mounting obstacles to the voting booth. We must clearly demonstrate that the registration of eligible voters in the Commonwealth is welcomed and encouraged.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.