Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Elections
 
Board
State Board of Elections
 
chapter
Voter Registration [1 VAC 20 ‑ 40]
Action Revise Valid Definition
Stage Proposed
Comment Period Ended on 8/4/2014
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7/31/14  10:00 pm
Commenter: Karen Jorde

No Expiration Dates on Voter ID's
 

The Commonwealth of Virginia should allow all citizens to votes so long as they present a properly issued photo ID, regardless of whether or not it has expired.  Simply because someone no longer drives a car or has not bothered to renew their passport, doesn't mean they have surrendered their access to the voting booth.

It is a well-established fact that the probability of in-person voter fraud is so low that you are more likely to be struck by lightning--twice.  This added restriction is simply a further attempt to discourage known at-risk voter populations from exercising their lawful right to self-governance.

Not to mention that, if the intent of this requirement truly were to prevent voter fraud, it is a completely illogical measure.  If someone was going to go to the risk of committing a felony and fraudulently cast an in-person vote, I would hope that person would at least be clever enough not to call themselves to the attention of the election officials by virtue of attempting to use an expired ID.

I would also suggest that on Election Day we should ask our poll workers to focus on "the main and the plain."  If the person standing in front of an election official is the person in the photo and the address on the ID matches the address on the voter rolls, I think it's a safe bet that person is who they say they are.  Let's not create barriers for anyone to vote.  Someday, your own vote may be the vote that is at risk.

 
CommentID: 36203