Not only are liberal billionaires spending millions of dollars funding redistricting lawsuits within states, but now Democrat Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe seeks to allow illegals and convicted felons without reinstated voting rights to vote as well.
It is no secret the governor is a close ally of Hillary Clinton. It’s pretty clear he is attempting to help her prevail in a key battleground state for the presidency. Other Democrat governors may follow suit, should McAuliffe be successful.
Gov. McAuliffe’s administration is attempting to make questions about citizenship and felony status optional on voter registration forms in Virginia. Specifically, the proposed changes would make it “not material” if a person fails to check the required boxes. Registrars would be allowed to register these people to vote without this information. While the governor’s administration may have the regulatory authority to make the changes, there is of course, a slight constitutional issue.
(AP/Mike Groll)
The Constitution of Virginia, Article 2, Section 2 states very clearly [emphasis added]:
“Applications to register shall require the applicant to provide the following information on a standard form: full name; date of birth; residence address; social security number, if any; whether the applicant is presently a United States citizen; and such additional information as may be required by law.”
Additionally, as the Washington Post notes, “The proposal was met Tuesday with nearly universal skepticism - from registrars and election officials with practical concerns, and from politicians and ordinary Virginians with big-picture worries that play into the nation’s fiercest political debates.”
There is a valid argument that felons who have repaid their debt to society should have their fundamental right to vote restored. Recently, Gov. McAuliffe classified drug crimes as non-violent, which most certainly expands the restoration of rights, as his predecessor Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell did before him.
Most people who are in the United States illegally truly want to better their lives, want to raise their families, and want the ability to give their children the same opportunities that legal citizens inherently have.
However, we are a society of laws and they matter. Restoration of felons’ rights and immigration reformation are separate issues from the profoundly important integrity of our vote. There should be no mixing of the two. The attempt to circumvent these laws and create a loophole you can drive a Mac truck through represents a piercing of the heart of our democracy.
Some of the most vocal critics of these proposed changes are not Republicans, but the non-partisan registrars in Virginia who administer voter registration and our elections. Both a lawsuit and legislation can be recourse for those of us who will not stand for this illegal action and politicization of the voter registration process. This is not just an issue for Virginia, but for the whole nation. Aren’t some things more important than politics?
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