Sunday, March 31, 2013
Republicans say a requirement for picture ID protects "sanctity" of the vote; Democrats argue the GOP is keeping certain voters away from the polls on purpose.
Virginia voters will need a photo ID when they're heading to the polls beginning in 2014 under new requirements signed into law by Gov. Bob McDonnell this week. Supporters argue that a voter registration card with no picture creates an opening for fraudulent voting. McDonnell spokesman Jeff Caldwell said in a statement to The Washington Post that the new law is about protecting "the sanctity of our democratic process.” Democratic leaders have challenged voter ID laws as a type of voter suppression. They note those without a photo ID are likely found among Democratic voters, particularly seniors and college students. The new law will need approval by the U.S. Justice Department, a requirement for any voting changes in most Southern states …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows residents are divided and still learning about Terry McAuliffe, Ken Cuccinelli.
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe hand-delivered 35,746 signatures Wednesday to the Virginia State Board of Elections in Richmond to help secure his place on the ballot in the governor's race. McAuliffe may face Republican Virginia State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on the ballot come November. A new Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday showed Cuccinelli is viewed as "having better experience, while voters see Terry McAuliffe as slightly less ideological, but neither is well-known to voters who are divided on who should be the next governor, with 40 percent for Republican Cuccinelli and 38 percent for Democrat McAuliffe," according to a news release about the new Quinnipiac University poll. The most …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Does the commonwealth need another name on the ballot?
Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling took himself out of Virginia's race for governor last week, leaving, at least for now, what's shaping up to be a two-person race. The choice for the Old Dominion's next governor, seven months before Election Day, seems to have boiled down to presumptive Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli, the state's socially conservative attorney general, against likely Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a McLean businessman. The Republican Party of Virginia will hold its convention on May 17 and 18 in Richmond to formally select its nominee. Democrats go to the polls on June 11 to cast their ballots in several races, including governor and lieutenant governor. …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Two Democrats, one Republican are running for the 86th district; Democratic primary is June 11.
Two Democratic candidates, Jennifer Boysko and Herb Kemp, are running against Republican incumbent Tom Rust for 86th district House of Delegates. Before November's general election, Boysko and Kemp will square off in the June 11 primary later this spring. Here's the basics about each of the candidates, and where you can find more information. JENNIFER BOYSKO (D) • Originally from Hot Springs, Arkansas, lived in Alabama for a number of years as a teen, and is a graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke. • First job was for US Senator Richard Shelby. She also worked as a legislative assistant for Bayless, Boland, Madigan and Barrett on policy issues such as NAFTA, telecommunications deregulation, and alternative fuels, among others. • Moved …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
News reports say fundraiser for McAuliffe, Democrat running for governor in Virginia, is set for March 13.
Former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser March 13 in New York for Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chair and electric car entrepreneur who is making a second run for governor of Virginia, according to a recent report by the New York Daily News. McAuliffe, 56, a resident of McLean, was defeated by State Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) in the 2009 Democratic primary in his previous run for the governor's seat. So far, McAuliffe faces Republican Ken Cuccinelli, 44, Virginia Attorney General, in the governor's race. There's a possibility that Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, 55, could still get into the race as an independent; he's told supporters to expect some sort of an announcement March 14. The election is in Nov…
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
When Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is throw into the poll as an independent, poll numbers barely move.
If Virginia’s Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling throws his hat into the Virginia governor’s race, the race could tilt very slightly toward Democrat candidate and McLean resident Terry McAuliffe, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. McAuliffe and Republican State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli are statistically tied in a February Quinnipiac University poll of Virginia registered voters about the two-way governor’s race — each candidate has 38 percent. Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,112 registered Virginia voters; the survey has a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percent. When Bolling is thrown into the mix, McAuliffe gets 34 percent of the votes and Cuccinelli gets 31 percent — almost within the margin of error — and Bolling gets 13 percent. …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Virginia is the only state that doesn't allow governors to serve two consecutive terms.
- ELECTIONS
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Tuesday, February 5
By Shelby Mertens, Capital News Service Starting in 2017, Virginia voters could have the opportunity to re-elect the governor to a second consecutive term if the House joins the Senate in seeking to amend the state’s Constitution. The Senate this week approved a proposed constitutional amendment to allow governors to serve two terms in a row. The vote was 25-15. Sen. Mark Herring (D-33), who represents Herndon, voted yes, along with other area Senators Janet Howell (D-32) and Barbara Favola (D-31). The resolution now moves to the House of Delegates, where its fate is uncertain. “I’m not real optimistic about its chances, but I think it’s the right thing to do,” Sen. John Miller (D-Newport News) said. "We ought to give the voters the …
Friday, January 18, 2013
Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli and his Democratic challenger, Terry McAuliffe, gunning for 2013 election.
By Katherine Johnson, Capital News Service RICHMOND – Less than $150,000 separates Virginia’s two candidates for governor, according to campaign finance reports filed by Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli and his Democratic challenger, Terry McAuliffe. Cuccinelli ended the year with $1.2 million in his campaign war chest, while McAuliffe had a little over $1 million, according to finance reports posted on the Virginia Public Access Project. The numbers take into consideration all money raised and spent from July 1 through Dec. 31 of 2012. The candidates filed the reports Tuesday, and they were immediately posted by VPAP, a nonprofit organization that promotes public understanding of money’s role in Virginia politics. As of this point, …
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Democratic hopeful for governor of Virginia discusses job growth and infrastructure needs.
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) toured the Reston Station construction site Thursday to hear what the next Governor can do to help promote infrastructure development and economic growth. Reston Station is being developed through a public-private partnership between Comstock Partners and Fairfax County. It will be the site of the 2,300 commuter parking garage spaces and the mixed-use development planned at the Wiehle-East Silver Line Metro stop. “We need successful infrastructure projects in Virginia because they create jobs when we build them and add tremendous value for communities and neighborhoods that will now be served by transit,” McAuliffe said. “We must continue to find mainstream solutions to improve our …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Group will focus on reducing wait times at county polls.
A newly appointed election commission will examine efficiency at the polls in Fairfax County in an effort to prevent the long waits some residents dealt with Nov. 6. from happening again. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed members to the commission Dec. 4 and charged them with reviewing the county’s election system and developing recommendations for improvement. Board Chairman Sharon Bulova proposed the bipartisan commission, a motion that passed unanimously despite some supervisors worrying about the cost and legal ramifications. The commission will focus primarily on ways to cut down severe wait times reported by residents in various districts. Some voters reported manageable wait times of no more than 30 minutes, but the …
Larry Gross
5:29 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013
you have to qualify to register but once you do provide the required information why not receive a photo ID - just like you do when you get a drivers license? If we want to require photo-id, fine - provide one when you register to vote.... I don't have a problem with photo id when you register to vote but I do have a problem when they do register you and then later on - even though you are … more ›