GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 1581. Senate Bill 1581 would require the automatic denial of voter registration applications from certain eligible Virginians solely due to an error in a federal database or other databases, such as third parties engaged in the credit reporting industry.

The Voting Rights Act expressly prohibits denying applications for reasons that are not material to determining voter eligibility. Requiring 133 individual general registrars to implement a flawed application denial process will only increase the potential to disenfranchise eligible voters and stretch the limited resources of local elections officials.

Maintaining the Commonwealth’s current process for verifying social security numbers through an agreement with the Social Security Administration will ensure continued compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Requiring general registrars to deny applications from potentially eligible Virginians would be an unfunded mandate on localities and could disenfranchise Virginians.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.