Del. Wren Williams, R–Stuart, voted to pass six historic election reform bills on the Virginia House Floor on Thursday and Friday, fulfilling a major campaign promise to his constituents. Williams voted in favor of the following bills, which all passed the Virginia House of Delegates:
HB34, which repeals the provisions of law that allow ballot drop boxes
HB39, which limits early in-person absentee voting to fourteen days prior to the election date and specifies that early in-person voting will be available during this period from Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
HB196, which repeals the permanent absentee voter list established in § 24.2-703.1, whereby voters would receive absentee ballots indefinitely, barring certain exceptions
HB175, which repeals the permanent absentee voter list and replaces it with an annual absentee voter list, whereby eligible voters can apply to receive absentee ballots for that calendar year, on a yearly basis
HB205, which bars elections officials from accepting gifts, funding, property, or services from a private individual or NGO to fund voter education and outreach programs, voter registration programs, or other election-related expenses; specifies that an individual or NGO operating a polling place does not violate this provision
HB1090, which requires all eligible voters to present identification when voting, and provides for free voter identification for eligible voters who lack identification
The passing of these wide-reaching election security bills in the Virginia House is a milestone achievement towards securing Virginia’s elections, according to a release. Williams said election integrity was a “top priority” during his campaign and pledged to carry and support legislation that would secure Virginia’s election process.
“I promised my constituents that I would fight to stop fraud and safeguard our elections here in Virginia. These bills will do exactly that,” he said. “I am proud to vote for these bills and it is a huge win that they have now passed the House. We will not stop fighting until our elections are secured and Virginia voters are assured that our democratic system is trustworthy.”
