Richmond, VA – Following announcements from Governor Glenn Youngkin, the Republican Party of Virginia, and RSLC, Virginia Democratic leaders from the House and Senate released the following statements on the Republicans’ Absentee and Early Voting program launch:
“It seems to me there is a disagreement between the Governor and Republicans in the General Assembly. Just this past session, Republicans launched an attack on early and absentee voting.”said Senate Majority Leader Senator Dick Saslaw. “Now, the Governor is promoting the very same measures his party intends to disrupt.”
“It’s blatant hypocrisy,” said House Democratic Leader Don Scott. “This is a party that is on the record against early voting. They are doing this whole push to pull the wool over our constituent’s eyes and hide from the fact that they’ve worked to make it harder for Virginians to vote at every turn. They’ve undermined our democratic systems for years and if allowed the Majority, they will vote to restrict voting access.”
”I find it totally disingenuous that Governor Youngkin and MAGA Republicans now are encouraging their supporters to use voting processes that Democrats put in place to enhance democracy,” said Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Senator Mamie Locke. “It’s amazing because just this past session Republicans sought to rollback these very measures like absentee voting and not using ARPA funds for voter education and Sunday voting efforts. The hypocrisy is glaring. Senate Democrats want Virginians to vote which is why we put all the access measures in place to remove draconian obstacles and to make the process for voting easier in the Commonwealth.”
“I would be more thrilled if the MAGA Republican Extremists decided to stop proliferating dangerous and wildly false claims about our free and fair elections systems. Their actions have put lives at risk and undermined the confidence in our entire democracy. If they are serious about this initiative, the GOP should apologize for their previous attacks to invalidate voting systems. Until then, this is nothing more than political games from people only focused on using any means available to grab power from people with whom they disagree or devalue,” said Delegate Cia Price. Delegate Price co-sponsored the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, protecting access to the right to vote in the Commonwealth.
Delegate Marcus Simon, Deputy Floor Leader, said, “The GOP isn’t fooling anyone with this attempt to erase the past. Todd Gilbert and the Virginia Republicans have spent years questioning the integrity of Virginia’s early and absentee voting tools and pushing harmful conspiracy theories about our elections. Every single one of them voted to repeal early and absentee voting and they will do so again.”
“It’s smart politics, somewhat hypocritical, to pull us out of ERIC and play to the baseless MAGA concerns about election insecurity and then use the same innovations that they claim create that insecurity,” said Senator Creigh Deeds. “This calculated move shows that Republicans are afraid of the power of early voting and trying to find new ways to take control.” Senator Creigh Deeds was Chair of the Privileges and Elections Committee when Democrats passed expanded voting measures across the Commonwealth.
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