Virginia's new voter ID law that limits access to the ballot without the proper photo ID will soon go into effect, and the State Board of Elections is tasked with informing the public about the new change before the November elections.
The Board's strategy includes launching a voter outreach, marketing, and public awareness campaign well before then.
The new law trumps one passed a year earlier that expanded the types of acceptable forms of identification that voters could use at the polls. The law that takes effect July 1st limits those forms to state, federal, student, or employee photo IDs. Election Uniformity Manager Susan Lee says the date provides a few more opportunities to vote the "older" way before the change takes effect—and a way to educate the public using fliers.
The Board will hold regional sessions to train local registrars. The state has solicited vendors to create a new ID that will be given free of charge to those who need them. Local registrars will also be able to produce and hand out the free IDs. Under the law, voters can cast provisional ballots if they don’t bring a photo ID, but they'll need to present a valid ID to their registrar within four days of the election.