RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A debate is brewing over early voting in Virginia.
Several Virginia Republicans have introduced bills to roll back access to early voting in the Commonwealth. These bills have been met with backlash from Democrats, who passed legislation to extend the early voting period during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re gonna protect our democracy and hope to expand it and not go backward,” explained Democratic Delegate Marcia Price, who will serve as the Chairwoman of the House Privileges and Elections Committee come January.
Currently, in-person early voting is allowed in Virginia 45 days prior to Election Day — but two bills filed, one in the House of Delegates and one in the Senate, could cut that timeframe dramatically.
“It should not be a voting season. It should be an Election Day,” Senator Mark Peake (R-22), who has put forward a proposal to shorten early voting to 21 days, told 8News.
Peake says his proposal is not intended to decrease voter turnout, but rather ease the burden on local registrars’ and ensure election integrity.
“It’s hard to come up with people to manage the polls, observers for a month and a half, for eight hours, ten hours a day,” Peake explained.
However, Price says registrars haven’t asked for early voting to be shortened and any attempt to do so is an example of voter suppression.
“Why not have as much time as possible for people to be able to cast one of the most important tools that they have in their toolbox, to be a part of the legislative process,” Price asked. “To decide who is going to represent them for however long the term is and make decisions on their behalf.”
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, over 550,000 people voted early in person in this year’s General Assembly elections.
