Richmond’s city attorney informed the electoral board that its vote to not open two early voting locations “violates state law” and should be reversed. The board is set to meet next Friday.
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – The Richmond Electoral Board voted to have only one early voting location in the city for the Nov. 7 elections, drawing outrage for opting against keeping ones in South Richmond and downtown open.
The Republican-led electoral board voted 2-1 Tuesday not to approve the satellite voting sites at Hickory Hill Community Center and City Hall for the elections – leaving the city’s elections office off West Laburnum Avenue as the only option for early voters looking to cast a ballot in person.
After Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and others voiced frustrations and claims of voter suppression Thursday over the move, City Attorney Laura Drewry wrote to the city’s electoral board that its decision violated Virginia law and that it should be reversed.
The board is expected to meet on Aug. 4 to discuss its options moving forward amid ongoing questions about the legality of the move. In a statement, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office agreed that the board lacked authority to limit the number of early voting sites.
“Virginia code states that voting satellite offices are established by a local governing body, not the electoral board,” Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter said.
Richmond general registrar Keith Balmer told 8News Thursday he didn’t get to present his proposal for the two other locations to the electoral board before the vote, with members citing concerns over the $100,000 proposed budget to staff the sites. Axios Richmond first reported the vote.
“I am at a loss for words,” Richmond City Council President Mike Jones, who is running for the House of Delegates, wrote in a tweet Wednesday. “With just one early voting site, the impact on the vote is staggering. Limited access undermines democracy and disenfranchises communities.”
The city’s elections office – located at 2134 West Laburnum Avenue – is tucked close to the Interstate 64 interchange with Interstate 195. Richmond opened the two other sites for recent elections over people’s accessibility concerns with the elections office.
In a Thursday afternoon press conference, Stoney called the vote an “intentional” effort to limit city residents’ access to the ballot.
“Why is Governor Youngkin making it harder to vote in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods? I want him to answer that question,” Stoney said. “Why is the Republican Party making it harder for voters to vote? Is it truly early voting for all? Or is it simply early voting for some?”
Richmond’s electoral board — like all the others in Virginia — has a Republican majority because state law requires two members to be from the political party that voted for the current governor.
Multiple attempts to reach Richmond Electoral Board Chair C. Starlet Stevens were unsuccessful Thursday. A spokesperson for the city’s elections office did not immediately respond to 8News’ request for an interview with board members.
During Thursday’s press conference, Jones said the move creates barriers for Richmond voters, particularly for those without access to reliable transportation.
Jones urged the electoral board to open an early voting location in South Richmond, writing in a letter to Balmer and members that not doing so would be “a clear violation of their constitutional rights.”
“This decision not only undermines the voting rights of citizens in the black communities of South Richmond but also perpetuates a systemic disenfranchisement that has plagued our nation for far too long,” Jones wrote in the July 27 letter.
Jones added that he understands there may be “logistical challenges” to setting up an early voting location in the area but stressed that the city could overcome those concerns by planning, getting resources and collaborating with community organizations.
Virginia House Minority Leader Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) criticized the move, accusing Republicans of hypocrisy as he tied it to an early voting initiative launched by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and state Republicans.
“Let’s take a look at who they [Republicans] are actually encouraging to turn out to vote. It’s not the people who look like me,” Del. Scott, who is Black, said in a statement. “It’s not the folks of south Richmond. They’re playing games with people’s fundamental rights and launching us back to a Jim Crow Virginia.”
In 2021, the City Hall and Hickory Hill early voting sites opened late after issues with notifying the public about the locations. Balmer, who had assumed the role not long before then, took the blame for the delay.
Early voting for the Nov. 7 state elections starts Sept. 22 and runs through Nov. 5. Richmond’s Office of Elections will be open for early in-person voting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, according to a press release from the office.
