Voter ID, Elections, Confederate Monument Bills Signed By Northam

RICHMOND,VA — Bills to drop voter ID and to allow local leaders to remove Confederate monuments were signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam this weekend. The new laws repeal Virginia’s voter ID law, make Election Day a state holiday in Virginia, and expand access to early voting.

“Voting is a fundamental right, and these new laws strengthen our democracy by making it easier to cast a ballot, not harder,” Northam said in a statement. “No matter who you are or where you live in Virginia, your voice deserves to be heard. I’m proud to sign these bills into law.”

The new laws allow early voting for everyone, drops the requirement for a photo ID, repeals a Confederate holiday to make Election Day a state holiday, and keeps polls open an hour later.

Northam signed these bills tied to voting:

• House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 111, sponsored by House Majority Leader Charniele Herring and Senator Janet Howell, respectively, allow early voting 45 days prior to an election without a stated excuse. Virginia currently requires voters who wish to vote absentee to provide the state with a reason, from an approved list, why they are unable to vote on Election Day.

• House Bill 19 and Senate Bill 65, sponsored by Delegate Joe Lindsey and Senator Mamie Locke, respectively, remove the requirement that voters show a photo ID prior to casting a ballot. Voter ID laws disenfranchise individuals who may not have access to photo identification, and disproportionately impact low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.

• House Bill 108 and Senate Bill 601, sponsored by Delegate Joe Lindsey and Senator Louise Lucas, respectively, make Election Day a state holiday, which will help ensure every Virginian has the time and opportunity to cast their ballot. In order to maintain the same number of state holidays, this measure repeals the current Lee-Jackson Day holiday, established over 100 years ago to honor Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

• House Bill 235 and Senate Bill 219, sponsored by Delegate Joshua Cole and Senator David Marsden, respectively, implement automatic voter registration for individuals accessing service at a Department of Motor Vehicles office or the DMV website.

• House Bill 238 and House Bill 239, sponsored by Delegate Mark Sickles, and Senate Bill 455, sponsored by Senator Bryce Reeves, expand absentee voting timelines to ensure access to the polls.

• House Bill 1678, sponsored by Delegate Joe Lindsey, extends in-person polling hours from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“Virginia’s photo ID law was designed to make it more difficult to vote,” said Delegate Joe Lindsey. “It is past time we repealed this law, and I’m grateful to the Governor for helping us get it done.”

Confederate Monuments Laws

Governor Ralph Northam today signed new laws that repeal racist and discriminatory language from Virginia’s Acts of Assembly, give localities the ability to remove or alter Confederate monuments in their communities, and begin the process of replacing Virginia’s statue of Confederal General Robert E. Lee in the United States Capitol.

“Racial discrimination is rooted in many of the choices we have made about who and what to honor, and in many of the laws that have historically governed this Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam. These new laws make Virginia more equitable, just, and inclusive, and I am proud to sign them.”

Senate Bill 183 and House Bill 1537, sponsored by Senator Mamie Locke and Delegate Delores McQuinn, overturns the Commonwealth’s prohibition on the removal of Confederate war memorials. Starting July 1, localities will have the ability to remove, relocate, or contextualize the monuments in their communities. Virginia is home to more than 220 public memorials to the Confederacy.

Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 1406, sponsored by Senator Louise Lucas and Delegate Jeion Ward, creates a commission to recommend a replacement for the Robert E. Lee statue in the United States Capitol. To date, eight statues in the National Statuary Hall have been replaced, and seven additional states are working through a similar process to replace statues.

“These monuments tell a particular version of history that doesn’t include everyone,” Northam said. “In Virginia, that version of history has been given prominence and authority for far too long.”

The governor also signed new laws to strike discriminatory language from Virginia’s Acts of Assembly. This includes laws that banned interracial marriage, blocked school integration, and prohibited black and white Virginians from living in the same neighborhoods. While many of these Acts of Assembly have been overturned by court decisions or subsequent legislation, they had remained enshrined in law.

Senate Bill 600 and House Bill 973 repeal discriminatory language related to education; Senate Bill 636 and House Bill 1325 repeal language related to criminal law; Senate Bill 850 and House Bill 1521 relate to health laws; Senate Bill 874 and House Bill 857 relate to housing laws; Senate Bill 722 and House Bill 1638 relate to matters of General Application; Senate Bill 896 and House Bill 914 relate to transportation laws; and Senate Bill 555 and House Bill 1086 repeal discriminatory language related to voting. Exact language can be viewed in the Commission’s full Interim Report.

Northam also signed House Bill 1519, sponsored by Delegate Delores McQuinn, establishing a commission to study slavery in Virginia and subsequent racial and economic discrimination. The commission will be comprised of 11 members, including three legislative members and eight non-legislative citizen members, and will make recommendations to Northam and the General Assembly on appropriate remedies.

“Virginia’s Confederate monuments were erected as symbols of a dangerous Jim Crow era,” said Senator Mamie Locke. “It is past time we told a more complete story of our history and work to build a Commonwealth that values everyone — no matter who you are.”

“For more than 400 years, we’ve consciously oppressed and celebrated painful parts of Virginia’s past at the expense of those who are haunted by it the most,” said Dr. Janice Underwood, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. “With these laws we are charting a new path for our Commonwealth—one that begins to tell a more complete story of who we are and honors our diversity as our greatest strength. I am very proud to be part of an administration that is committed to doing this work.”