GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 939, which prohibits possession of a firearm within 100 feet of locations used for certain voting-related and elections-related activities.

Current law prohibits possessing a firearm within forty feet of the entrance to a polling place. Additionally, the act of brandishing a weapon is already a criminal offense.

This legislation proposes intricate time-and-place restrictions on carrying firearms, potentially turning law-abiding citizens into unintentional criminals if they are unaware of the presence of a ballot drop-off box or an electoral board meeting.

The expanded election-related restrictions would necessitate individuals to navigate around various locations permanently, regardless of their purpose in the area; moreover, on specific days and during designated hours, they would be obligated to avoid an extended list of locations to avoid legal consequences. These restrictions could be in effect for up to forty-five days in some years and one hundred thirty-five days or more in others.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.