Statement From Webb Campaign Lawyer Jay Myerson

Webb for Senate

There have been many misreports in the media concerning whether voters are required to have identification to vote.

“The law is clear,” said Jay Myerson, General Counsel of the Democratic Party of Virginia. According to the State Board of Elections, if a voter is willing to sign an Affirmation of Identity statement, the voter gets to vote. The State Board of Elections has directed that a “Voter without ID must NOT be pulled out of the main line to complete the Affirmation of Identity form, or be detained or delayed in any way unless there are other problems.” (State Board of Elections, What If…, item 2, emphasis in original).

The only exception is if the voter registered to vote by mail and it is his or her first time voting in a federal election. In that case the voter must show a current and valid photo identification or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other document that shows the name and address of the voter (including a Virginia voter card).

“In all other cases, the voter is entitled to vote on the machine and not by provisional ballot,” said Myerson.

“We are confident that Virginians will not be fooled and will not be dissuaded from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to vote,” concluded Myerson.