VA Dems Plan To Enact Radical Election Changes

A Virginia state delegate has introduced legislation that would bar the hand-counting of machine-readable ballots in most circumstances.

Delegate Marcia S. Price introduced HB 968 on January 13 which would prohibit ballots “from being counted by hand for any reason or purpose not specifically authorized by law.”

The legislation would amend the state code to add that, “In ascertaining the vote, the officers of election shall use ballot scanner machines to count machine-readable ballots and shall not count machine-readable ballots by hand for any reason or purpose not specifically authorized for by law.”

Virginia currently uses electronic scanners for most ballot counting, with hand-counting limited to a few specific scenarios.

State code § 24.2-712 states that absentee ballots may be counted via a machine “in the case of machine-readable ballots,” but that “in the case of absentee ballots that are counted by hand, the officers of election shall begin tallying such ballots at any time after noon on the day of the election in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Department of Elections.”

State code § 24.2-802.2 governs recount procedures and states in part that for paper ballots “the recount officials shall hand count the paper ballots using the standards promulgated by the State Board…”

State code § 24.2-671.2 authorizes hand counting for election audits with specific instructions.

Hand counts are useful to ensure that the physical ballots counted matches Election Day machine count totals. Hand counts allow election officials to reconcile physical ballots with machine tallies and detect potential equipment errors or discrepancies. The practice can add an additional layer of transparency in results.

The state also has several other election law proposals on the table, including SB 52 which would prohibit the cleaning of voters rolls in local and state elections 90 days before an election. The legislation also extends the time registrars may have to remove ineligible persons from the rolls from 30 days to 60 days. Prospective voters also would have 28 days, rather than 14, to respond to notices that they are not citizens of the United States.

Another proposed piece of legislation, SB 57, would enter Virginia into the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). As reported by The Federalist’s Shawn Fleetwood, “ERIC was founded by Democrat activist David Becker and ‘sold to states as a quick and easy way to update their voter rolls.’” In actuality, the group inflates voter rolls by requiring member states to contact eligible but unregistered residents to register to vote.

ERIC also reportedly shares voter roll information with the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR), another Becker-founded group known for its “Zuckbucks” interference in the 2020 election. The data shared between the two left-wing groups is effectively used to develop lists of potential (and likely Democrat) voters for states to register leading up to elections.”

Meanwhile SB 58 would move “the deadline for receipt of an absentee ballot, information required to cure an absentee ballot, or proof of identification to accompany a provisional ballot provided for lack of identification from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election.”

Proposed HB 773 would remove absentee ballot receipt deadline requirement and extend ballot curing until the Monday after Election Day.