Virginia Senate Bill SB610

Virginia 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/12/22
• Refer: 1/12/22

Caption

Virginia Personnel Act; policy or administration for Department of Elections.

Impact

By facilitating automatic registration for eligible voters, including those who preregister and turn eighteen, SB610 promotes increased voter participation in elections. Furthermore, the act establishes procedures for local election officials to follow, thereby enhancing the uniformity of voter registration practices across the Commonwealth. It requires general registrars to take necessary actions for removing disqualified voters from the registry within specific timeframes, thereby ensuring that only eligible individuals are allowed to vote.

Summary

SB610, known as the Virginia Personnel Act, aims to enhance the administration and oversight of the state's voter registration and electoral processes through the Department of Elections. The bill includes provisions for the continuous operation and maintenance of a centralized voter registration system, ensuring that records of registered voters are accurate and up-to-date. It mandates the Department to maintain separate records to track deceased individuals, felony convictions, and other disqualifications to streamline the updating of the voter registry, thereby aiming to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.

Contention

Notably, certain sections of SB610 have raised concerns among some stakeholders regarding privacy and the handling of personal information. The utilization of data from the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE Program) to confirm citizenship status has been critiqued, with opponents arguing that it could potentially disenfranchise eligible voters. Additionally, the requirement for general registrars to delete voters who have been identified as non-citizens or otherwise disqualified could lead to administrative burdens and errors in the registry, further complicating the voting landscape in Virginia.