This is another reminder of history and how the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore sent our nation down the wrong path.  Every legitimate voter should have his/her right to vote protected and that right should not be co-opted by the Commonwealth through unreasonable means like handwrting or other "material omissions"

 

Virginia's State Board of Election and our elected leaders should be working to make voting more accessible not less. The proposed changes, as follows, are really nothing more than voter supression

 

B. The following omissions are always material and any Envelope B containing such omissions should be rendered invalid if any of the following exists:

1. The voter did not include his full name in any order;

2. The voter did not include [ a his ] first name;

3. The voter did not include his last name;

4. The voter did not provide his house number, street name or rural route address, [ or ] city of residence [ , or zip code ];

5. The voter did not sign Envelope B;

6. The voter's witness did not sign Envelope B; [ or ]

7. The ballot is not sealed in Envelope B [ . ; or

8. The voter did not provide the date on which he signed Envelope B ].

C. The ballot should not be rendered invalid if on [ the ] Envelope B:

1. The voter included his full name in an order other than "last, first, middle";

2. The voter used his middle initial instead of his full middle name;

3. The voter used a derivative of his legal name as a first name (e.g., "Bob" instead of "Robert");

4. The voter did not provide his residential street identifier (Street, Drive, etc.); [ or ]

5. [ The voter did not provide a zip code; or

6. ] The voter omitted the year in the date [ on which he signed Envelope B