Absentee voting changes rejected by Virginia House

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The Associated Press
© April 8, 2009

RICHMOND

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's last hope for doing away with the requirement that Virginia voters give an excuse to cast an in-person absentee ballot has died.

The House ruled Wednesday that Kaine's amendments to a bill allowing emergency responders to vote absentee for any reason were not germane. The move sends the original bill to Kaine, who already has signed similar legislation.

The Senate upheld Kaine's changes on a 22-18 vote earlier Wednesday.

Currently, those who want to vote absentee must meet one of 17 criteria.

Democrats' attempts to allow no-excuse, in-person absentee voting up to 45 days before an election have repeatedly died in the Republican-controlled House.

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This is why...

Submitted by Chris33 on Wed, 04/08/2009 at 10:19 pm.

.....I never vote Republican. And I never will again. They are the last of the white Nazi bush leagues.

gop doesn't want those who have to work 9 to 5 voting

Submitted by good2stopkilling on Wed, 04/08/2009 at 8:43 pm.

This would have allowed those who vote for the party of the people a chance to get rid of these welfare queens in the legislature - time to vote them out - the party of NO needs to leave

Good call

Submitted by hatterasnc on Wed, 04/08/2009 at 7:21 pm.

[Democrats' attempts to allow no-excuse, in-person absentee voting up to 45 days before an election have repeatedly died in the Republican-controlled House.]

This is not a partisan issue, please stop trying to frame it as such and assign blame. It is the correct decision. Well done.

Fair Elections Protected

Submitted by jjackson on Wed, 04/08/2009 at 6:18 pm.

Thank God for the Republicans in the House! The attempt by the liberal democrats to gain advantages in voting has been stopped for now. Democrats who think that our national and state constitutions are nothing more than a hindrance to their agenda will try again. We must be vigilant.