Alexander Hamilton once asked whether human societies “are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident or force,” that is, must humanity never be free from rule by despots? The miracle of the United States’ founding from 1776-1789 provided an answer: “No.”
Self-governance is every American’s most precious political treasure. Our founders labored for a system affirming the people’s sovereignty over their government. Securing and preserving these blessings of liberty has cost tremendous quantities of blood and treasure over many generations.
Silencing the citizens’ voice replaces self-governance with tyranny. For this reason, election integrity is not an accessory. It is not an option. It is not an agenda item. It is the lock on the door that keeps the marauder from destroying you and your loved ones. And, because the people’s voice is the heart of our freedoms, no expense should be spared in guarding it. Every American should demand election integrity.
Across the nation today, basic safeguards designed to protect America’s elections are under attack. Although self-governance is the heritage of all Americans, an autocratic mindset has overtaken the American left, from whence it now directs regular guerilla operations against the American people.
State-level corruption of national elections, such as relaxation or removal of safeguards against fraud, threaten the rest of the country. And, with some 22-40 million illegal aliens now present—who, by definition, do not share our basic commitment to equality under just laws—and with some seeking to use them as a vehicle for throwing off the yoke of the American people’s will, the looming consequence of any state’s internal decision to ignore laws duly passed through the people’s representatives is existential.
Which brings us to the point. Today in Virginia, key components for preservation of self-governance depend upon the legitimate power of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s veto pen.
Progressives in the Virginia House and Senate have passed a flood of legislation to disenfranchise Virginians, to make it impossible for some disabled Americans to legally park their cars in handicap spaces when voting, to make election cheating easier, to hinder detection of cheating, and to make violence at election precincts more likely.
Although Gov. Youngkin has 30 days from March 9 in which to act, there is no need for him deliberate over any of the following bills; they all deserve his veto.
Following is a summary of the worst legislation:
- SB606 and HB1177 would force Virginia to rejoin the Election Registration Information Center (ERIC), an unaccountable, non-transparent third-party organization that has been proven to fail in ensuring voter roll accuracy. ERIC has also reportedly shared “personal identifiable information” of voters, including that of minors, with a private left-wing organization. Because of its many flaws and partisan nature, Virginia and many other states have severed relationships with ERIC. Furthermore, Virginia now has a state-run system that works better than ERIC. Rejoining ERIC, as Democrats wish, would therefore be highly inappropriate. [**UPDATE: SB606 was vetoed by Gov. Youngkin on March 8, 2024.]
- HB1454 and SB246 remove restrictions currently placed on the back of state issued driver privilege cards and permits, while ensuring that illegal aliens can continue to receive these IDs. The bills also direct the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to extend the validity of these limited duration cards (currently two years or less) to up to eight years, while extending the list of who may receive original licenses, permits, or special IDs (that is, not the driver privilege cards available to illegal aliens) to include illegal aliens currently in the DACA program. Meanwhile, the bills do away with current requirements that evidence of lawful presence be presented in person when applying for one of these IDs. These bills, therefore, will disenfranchise the citizens of the state who deserve to be protected from non-citizen voting.
- HB1534 suppresses voters’ right to directly challenge another voter’s registration, or the eligibility of a candidate after a primary within 60 days of an election, to the registrar. The bill would require all challenges to go through the court system, effectively neutralizing most or all legitimate challenges of ineligible voters or candidates.
- HB904 removes many sections of current Virginia law that enable general registrars to keep updated and accurate registered voter lists. It will do away with necessary voter list maintenance tools, and deadlines, that provide for accurate and up-to-date Virginia registered voter lists.
- SB300 removes many sections of current law that provide for tools and deadlines to enable General Registrars to keep up-to-date and accurate registered voter lists. It replaces current law with a point systemwhich will forbid the removal of any voter—even if confirmed to be deceased—unless many additional pieces of data are also gathered. This bureaucratic red-tape is clearly designed to keep the voter rolls clogged up with many people who are ineligible to vote. Such improper registrations are notoriously the tools of election fraudsters.
- SB196 removes the current obligation on Virginia Department of Elections to utilize data on active voter registrations and lists of persons voting at primaries and elections from other states in order to clean up Virginia voter lists and to prevent fraudulent double voting.
- HB939 is an excessive and unwarranted bill extending the prohibition of possessing a firearm from 40 feet to 100 feet from polling locations. This needless legislation would have the particular effect of disenfranchising Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights, making it more difficult for them to park their vehicle in order to vote. The severest effect would be felt by disabled citizens who carry a firearm in the glovebox. Many such people will be prevented from parking in handicap parking spaces in order to vote. Thus, it will effectively disenfranchise disabled voters, among others.
- HB942 prohibits polling stations from being placed within a police station or sheriff’s office. It needlessly stigmatizes law enforcement. By ruling out these venues, this bill would needlessly constrict many communities’ options for safe, accessible, and well-maintained polling places.
- HB26 invites voter fraud by adding non-verifiable ID as valid identification to be able to vote.
- HB623 makes any reduction in early voting satellite locations or hours of operation for early satellite locations—even if there are not resources to properly staff them in order to ensure election integrity—a cause for civil action. It also greatly expands the right to file civil action over alleged denial and dilution of voting rights based on race or color, or membership in a language minority group to include any voter in a protected class, any organization with a voter in a protected class, or any organization whose mission is voter access for a protected class can file a civil action alleging denial and dilution of voting rights. No voters outside these classes are permitted by this statute to file an action over alleged denial or dilution of voting rights—for example, as a result of illegal voting made possible by poorly staffed satellite voting locations.
- SB428 suppresses voters’ voices by way of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). Since it does not provide an even playing field, RCV should not be used in any Virginia election.
- SB364 will infringe citizens’ First Amendment right to free speech, by opening criticism of election administrators to civil lawsuits. Existing laws already protect all persons from intimidation and threats, so this law is unnecessary.
In Federalist 21, Hamilton wrote, “The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men.” In any self-governing society, an orderly means for changing those who rule over us must be within reach of the people, through true elections in which only eligible citizens may vote only once, and in which the system of counting votes does not favor one type of candidate over others.
Autocrats are now using legislation to abuse the citizens. Americans should demand that their representatives—this week, Governor Glenn Youngkin—protect them from such abuse.