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Donald McEachin on Government Reform

 

 


Automatic voter registration to expand the right to vote

Donald will:
Source: 2016 Virginia House campaign website DonaldMcEachin.com , Nov 8, 2016

Allow absentee voting for voter convenience

Legislative Summary: A BILL relating to absentee voting: persons eligible to vote absentee in person without providing a statutory reason. Any registered voter may vote absentee, in person, in any election in which he is qualified to vote, without providing a reason. The application for an absentee ballot to be cast in person shall require the voter to provide [only] the following information: His printed name and the last four digits of his social security number; and a statement that he is registered at his residence address.

OnTheIssues Explanation:: Previous law required that absentee voter be on vacation or business trip; on active duty; attending school away from home; disability or health reasons; or imprisonment, as a reason to vote absentee. New law would allow absentee voting at the voter's convenience.

Legislative Outcome:: Sen. McEachin voted YEA; introduced Dec. 28, 2015 ; passed Senate, 21-19-0, on Feb. 1; died in House Committee on Feb. 3.

Source: Virginia Legislative voting records on SB106 , Feb 1, 2016

No photo ID for voting

Legislative Summary: Requires photo ID at the polls by eliminating all forms of identification that do not contain a photograph of the voter from the list of forms of ID any one of which a voter must present in order to be allowed to vote. The bill also adds a valid US passport to the list and requires that a student ID card issued by an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth contain a photograph in order to be used by a voter. The bill does not affect the right of a voter who does not present one of the required forms of ID to cast a provisional ballot. The bill also provides that the State Board shall provide free voter registration cards that contain a voter's photograph and signature if the voter does not possess other satisfactory photo ID.

Legislative Outcome:: Sen. McEachin voted NAY; passed Senate 20-20 on Feb. 5, with tie-breaker by Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling; passed House 65-34-1 on Feb. 20; signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell on March 25

Source: Virginia Legislative voting records on SB1256 , Feb 5, 2013

Statehood for the District of Columbia.

McEachin co-sponsored H.R.317

Congressional Summary: Sets forth procedures for admission into the United States of the state of New Columbia.

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (DCist.com, Sept. 2014): The Argument Against: Congress does not have the authority to grant statehood to D.C.; the 23rd amendment, which gave D.C. three electoral votes, would have to be repealed before statehood was granted. Washington is a wholly urban, one-industry town, dependent on the federal government far in excess of any other state. Moreover, with Congress no longer having authority over New Columbia but dependent on it, New Columbia could exert influence on the federal government far in excess of any other state.

Supporters reasons for voting YEA: [Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC; the District of Columbia has one representative to Congress and no Senators; Rep. Holmes can introduce bills but her vote does not count]: This 51st state would have no jurisdiction over the federal territory or enclave that now consists of the Washington that Members of Congress and visitors associate with the capital of our country. Those would remain under federal jurisdiction. The New Columbia Admission Act was the first bill I introduced in 1991. Statehood is the only alternative for the citizens of the District of Columbia. To be content with less than statehood is to concede the equality of citizenship that is the birthright of our residents as citizens of the United States.

Source: New Columbia Admission Act 15_H317 on Jan 13, 2015

Automatic voter registration for all citizens.

McEachin co-sponsored H.R.12 & S.1088

Congressional Summary:

Supporters reasons for voting YEA: (BrennanCenter.org): Too many Americans go to vote on Election Day only to find their names are not on the voter rolls--often, wrongly deleted. The US is on the verge of a new paradigm for registering voters: automatic, permanent registration of eligible voters, which would add up to 50 million eligible voters to the rolls.

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (Gov. Christie's veto message on the "Democracy Act", Nov. 2015): Christie called a provision establishing automatic voter registration that requires New Jerseyan to opt out a "government-knows-best, backwards approach that would inconvenience citizens and waste government resources for no justifiable reason." Automatic voter registration would have added 1.6 million people to the state's voter rolls.

Source: Voter Empowerment Act 15-H12 on Mar 19, 2015

Holiday on election day; revamp for easier voting access.

McEachin voted YEA For the People Act of 2019