Since its re-establishment as a state League in 1947, the League of Women Voters of Virginia has supported the simplification and improvement of the election laws of the Commonwealth to facilitate and increase registration and voting. League members reiterated this support during the organization’s recently completed update study of Virginia’s election laws. The League believes that measures should be adopted to increase the availability of voter registration, especially those that utilize technological advances or provide cost savings. We believe that the proposed policy of allowing Virginia’s eligible military and overseas citizens using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register to vote to submit the application by e-mail or fax is one of these measures that should be adopted. Adopting the proposed policy will further indicate the Commonwealth’s support and compliance with the MOVE Act purposes as well as its requirements; it will also show special support for those members of the military who are serving our country overseas.   We often read about – or ourselves have experienced – problems with delayed and lost mail. Imagine the problems of our citizens in isolated and dangerous areas of the world where there is no local post office or mailbox that can be used with assurance that a mailed registration form will get to a local registrar’s office by the deadline.  We support the use of fax or e-mail for this purpose. The League of Women Voters of Virginia is happy to support adoption of the proposed policy. 

Therese Martin, for Olga Hernandez, President, LWV-VA