Action | Revise Valid Definition |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 8/4/2014 |
The Commonwealth of Virgina accepts an expired passport as a valid primary source of ID to get a driver's liscense or DMV issued ID. Why should a form of ID that is acceptable to secure a Government issued ID such as a driver's liscense, not be accepted to excercize your right to vote? So if I am in possession of an expired passport as my sole photo ID, I can't vote unless I take that passport and go through the process of getting an official ID that is valid?
It makes no sense to make it more difficult to vote than to get an official ID unless, of course, the intent is to make it more difficult to vote. Only then does this policy make sense. With the Commonwealth already accepting that expired IDs adequately identify the individual to the point that they will issue official IDs based on them, denying people the right to vote based on the same expired ID could never stand a legal challenge.
The Board should reject caving to political pressure to deny people the right to vote. This pressure places the Commonwealth in a very precarious legal predicament. The Board should stand by the guidance issued in June - guidance they they are already promoting to voters in a Power Point presentation that says expired IDs are valid. Changing now would create mass confusion and deny people the right to vote.