Virginia Young Democrats strongly endorse the Department of Elections and the State Board of Elections efforts to reduce barriers to voting, including the recommendation to revise the requirements for accepting a voter registration application.

In Virginia, voter registration forms are often rejected because of incomplete fields. Federal law requires that no person be denied the right to vote because of an error or omission on any application or registration if such an error or omission is not material in determining whether that individual is qualified, under State law, to vote.

Common sense changes will help to ensure that voter registration forms are not needlessly rejected. We concur that signing the revised affirmation statement is sufficient evidence that the applicant affirms that s/he meets all of the requirements to register to vote in the Commonwealth.

Moreover, the voter registration application should be simplified. More eligible voters would successfully register if the Department of Elections adopted the proposed recommendations and greater voter participation is vital to the health of our democracy. Missing a check box should not disenfranchise a qualified voter.

We thank the Department of Elections for taking the time to review the form and to draft these changes. We hope that the State Board of Elections will swiftly adopt these changes, en bloc, upon the completion of the public comment period.