Virginia must lead the fight against voter intimidation
As Election Day in Virginia nears, we’ve received an alarming number of voter intimidation, misinformation and interference reports on our voter hotline and through our election monitoring efforts. The acute and chronic issues of our democracy today are, in part, the legacy of a segregated past when racial discrimination was enshrined in law and where the voting rights of Black Americans were systematically suppressed. Some of the events we see now are merely symptoms of a deeper affliction — the ongoing disenfranchisement of marginalized communities through suppressive tactics and barriers to voting access. All of which threaten public trust in our elections and prevent us from realizing a truly just, equitable and representative democracy.
Virginia’s off-year elections make us a national bellwether and what happens during our election season will likely serve as a harbinger of what’s to come in next year’s presidential election. The Virginia Civic Engagement Table’s Election Protection Coalition knows this all too well. Our team works with a nonpartisan coalition of more than 25 civil rights, pro-voter and advocacy groups to protect voters’ constitutional rights and access to the ballot box across the commonwealth. Our team of pro-bono lawyers, election experts and community leaders work directly alongside our fearless corps of volunteer voter advocates, stationed at 152 polling places, to monitor mis- and disinformation, answer voter questions and offer direct assistance to troubleshoot any number of issues that arise at polling sites, such as intimidation and harassment.
That is where we’ve seen the issues proliferate, from the bad-faith, fear-mongering door hangers by a fringe activist group, colored with baseless, false threats of “seizure of assets,” to the Richmond registrar’s office distributing outdated absentee voter instructions. The current heightened intensity at polling locations, including the armed guard in Spotsylvania, and the complaints we’ve received on our hotline about the aggressive tactics employed by referendum volunteers outside Richmond polling places, is a troubling, if familiar, pattern. It doesn’t help matters that the Virginia Department of Elections has repeatedly demonstrated incompetence and malice over the last two years, as evidenced most recently by the erroneous removal of thousands of voters from the voter rolls just weeks before Election Day.
Though these incidents of voter suppression seem near constant, efforts to safeguard our democracy, bolster public trust, and increase voter participation have never been stronger. We know that for every voice to be heard in these elections, safe access to the ballot is paramount. Virginia’s diverse pro-democracy coalitions help make that a reality by putting voters first.
With Virginia now ranked as one of the best states for voting, moving from the 49th worst state in 2019 to ninth best in 2022, we want voters to know their rights and exercise their fundamental right to vote. From removing restrictive photo ID laws to no-excuse early voting and same day voter registration, communities that have been historically disenfranchised now have increased opportunities to use their voice at the ballot box.
If voters do face issues at the polls, the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline, available during all voting hours and in seven languages, and our on-the-ground, nonpartisan volunteers are a vital free resource that voters can depend on.
If our commonwealth is to be the bellwether of our nation’s democracy, then we must set the standard by protecting inclusive and accessible participation in our democracy. As voters continue to head to the polls during this early voting period, and on Election Day, we’ll continue our work to keep their trust and maintain their confidence in our elections so that every voice can be heard. Voters can find more nonpartisan information about the upcoming elections at protectthevoteva. org/vote.