Gov. Northam of VA Just Made Election Day a State Holiday
Source: dailykos
Sunday April 12, 2020 · 4:33 PM EDT
RICHMOND, Va. (ABC7) Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Sunday that he has signed new legislation that expands access to voting in the Commonwealth.
The new bill repeals Virginia's voter identification law, makes Election Day a state holiday, and expands access to early voting, according to a release from the office of Gov. Northam.
Early voting will be allowed 45 days before an election without a stated excuse. The Commonwealth currently requires voters who want to vote absentee provide the state with a reason from an approved list, why they are unable to vote on Election Day.
Read more: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/4/12/1936652/-Gov-Northam-of-VA-Just-Made-Election-Day-a-State-Holiday
A comment I saw on Twitter a few minutes ago:
Today, he delivered.
turbinetree
(24,701 posts)William769
(55,147 posts)Sunriser13
(612 posts)meow2u3
(24,764 posts)Too bad we have a rethug legislature led by religious kooks from gerrymandered districts.
ancianita
(36,055 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)We can do this!
ancianita
(36,055 posts)progree
(10,907 posts)a big "good on that" too.
pecosbob
(7,538 posts)progree
(10,907 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)We can vote without lines and excessive risk, even if the Russiapublicans kill the US Postal Service.
Evolve Dammit
(16,733 posts)Grins
(7,217 posts)My fear about a national holiday is that too many will see it as an excuse to have a 4-day weekend. And not vote.
Evolve Dammit
(16,733 posts)Cha
(297,229 posts)Gov Northam and so did I.
TY, George.
OnlinePoker
(5,719 posts)PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,857 posts)Actually, the best thing is that they are going to have early voting, which is vastly more important than a holiday that will give only a tiny percentage of working people the day off.
spooky3
(34,452 posts)Follows the state and federal holiday schedule. Northam gave up a holiday that celebrate two civil war figures, so any business that celebrated that holiday ought to be able to celebrate Election Day.
All of the changes will have positive effects.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,857 posts)A minority of workers.
I am constantly enraged by how office workers do not understand the reality of the working life of those who don't work 9 to 5 with weekends and holidays off.
Election day as a national holiday benefits very, very few. Good advanced voting, or better yet good voting by mail will enfranchise far more.
I'm speaking as someone who never had a "normal" job, but always worked shift work.
Hulk
(6,699 posts)Smart move. Might be something governors have to do, since we have a Russian puppet in the White House currently.
iluvtennis
(19,858 posts)Hiawatha Pete
(1,798 posts)At the risk of stating the obvious, this should be the case in every state in order to combat voter suppression.
Duppers
(28,120 posts)Love my governor. (And my son's former doc.)
djacq
(1,634 posts)Virginia residents can also apply for Absentee Voting;
[link:https://bluevirginia.us/2020/03/va-state-board-of-elections-voters-may-choose-reason-2a-my-disability-or-illness-for-absentee-voting-in-the-may-2020-elections-due-to-covid-19|
mountain grammy
(26,621 posts)best way to vote.... the best way. But election day a holiday, great. State offices will close but nothing else. Early voting expansion is very good, and, for heaven's sake people, vote by mail!!
Haggis for Breakfast
(6,831 posts)You just KNOW that trumpie will be spitting mad about this.
dflprincess
(28,078 posts)how many people actually get state or federal holidays off? Many of us who work in offices still get Memorial, Independence, and Labor Days, as well as Thanksgiving & Christmas but a lot of workers, especialy in the service industry don't and fewer are getting Thanksgiving off.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Thanks to previous Russiapublican legislatures, we had pretty crappy ID and voting rules. This will make a huge difference, especially in the age of COVFEFE-19.
mahina
(17,656 posts)DFW
(54,379 posts)One state down, 49 to go!
This is as revolutionary a step in defending democracy as any other taken since the Voting Rights Act. No longer in Virginia will working people have to fear reprisal or getting penalized for taking time off from work to vote.
No wonder the Republicans tried to get him "Frankened." Making it easier for everyone in a state to vote has to be the ultimate Republican nightmare.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)And there's plenty of scrap bronze on top of those pedestals right now.
Sophiegirl
(2,338 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,161 posts)What does that say about the Republicans? I know, it ain't good.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)This is why off-year elections matter! VA votes for Governor every 4 years, one year after the national Presidential election. Our legislative elections are also on the odd-numbered years. And for the past two cycles, we have showed up and kicked out Russiapublicans - finally flipped the legislature last year.
Now, we are going to have a dramatically better situation for voters! Even if the Russiapublicans kill the US Postal Service, we will be able to vote in a reasonable way - spreading the voting over 45 days will get rid of any waiting lines and reduce COVID-19 risk.