The Governor has until midnight on April 8th to sign bills or to veto or suggest amendments. He has approved one bill that will afford greater protections to people with disabilities in exercising their right to vote and has yet to act on another bill for voting rights.
Curbside Voting
The disAbility Law Center of Virginia advocated for expanded rights to vote “curbside” for a person with any disability. During our election day monitoring, we paid close attention to compliance with the requirements to offer curbside voting and asked officials if they found those requirements difficult. Most responded that they did not.
HB 441 (Bennett-Parker) and SB 605 (Subramanyam) expand the definition of who may request a curbside ballot. Current law limits this option to those with physical disabilities or those who are 65 or older. The new law now allows a voter with any disability to request it.
Voter Identification Requirements
HB 26 (Reid) states that acceptable identification to vote may include an ID card issued by a provider licensed by the Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Department of Medical Assistance Services, or Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The Governor has not yet acted on this bill but has a deadline of April 8th.
Our mission is to advance independence, choice, and self-determination; protect legal, human, and civil rights; and eliminate abuse, neglect, and discrimination of people with disabilities through zealous and uncompromising legal advocacy and representation. We are available to educate policymakers about the potential impact of legislative proposals. Contact us at ga@dlcv.org, or info@dlcv.org, or by calling 1-800-552-3962 or 1-804-225-2042.