McDonnell outlines his proposals to improve voting
Attorney General Bob McDonnell wants to shorten lines at polling places by making it easier to add precincts.
He also is proposing the idea of "closing officials" who would report to precincts at the end of Election Day to help weary officials count ballots.
The ideas are among several election reforms McDonnell outlined yesterday ahead of the General Assembly session.
Several proposals were inspired by problems, some of which became the subjects of lawsuits, that arose around the November elections. McDonnell's ideas join others filed by state lawmakers looking for ways to improve the process.
Also in McDonnell's legislative package are proposals to allow police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel to vote absentee; to increase criminal penalties for voters who knowingly vote in an area where they are not qualified; and to allow voters to wear campaign T-shirts inside polling places.
McDonnell is the presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee.
E. Randall Wertz, voter registrar in Montgomery County and president of the Voter Registrars' Association of Virginia, said he's glad McDonnell is examining the process and thinks many of the proposals have merit.
Wertz wants McDonnell to clear up whether college students should register to vote in their hometown or where they are attending school. Differing interpretations caused tension in some college towns this year, including in Wertz's county, which is home to Virginia Tech.
McDonnell said he would like the State Board of Elections to create uniform guidelines for determining voters' residency.
He's also asking that registrars mail overseas absentee ballots within three days of receiving a request.
Nancy Rodrigues, secretary of the State Board of Elections, said that "in principle, we are interested in any ways to improve the election process, and some of the suggested pieces of legislation are, of course, improvements."
However, Rodrigues has not seen the actual legislation and she said it's difficult to comment more specifically until then. She said the board is working on its list of issues it would like the legislature to address.
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