BREAKING: SBE Votes to Rescind Loyalty Oath
At an emergency meeting of the State Board of Elections today, the Board voted to remove the RPV’s controversial Statement of Affiliation requirement. The meeting came following last week’s unanimous vote of RPV’s State Central Committee to reverse its earlier vote demanding a written statement from each primary voter that they were members of the Republican Party.
The Board, which was missing Chairman Jim Alcorn due to a family medical emergency, voted unanimously to remove the statement, as per RPV’s request.
Despite the vote, there was still a considerable amount of back and forth about concerns from both SBE and the Department of Elections regarding the signature issue in general, and RPV’s reversal in particular.
Department of Elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortes echoed the concerns voiced by Bearing Drift’s Brian Schoeneman, as noted by WTOP’s Max Smith, about changing the rules after voting had begun.
Cortés upset RPV trying to blame department of elections for this when RPV chose it. “To pull this…after the start of absentee voting…”
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) February 4, 2016
After RPV was given the floor, they doubled down on their claim that SBE’s action, and not bad publicity, was the cause for the reversal of the decision. This flies in the face of statements made by at least one RPV State Central Committee member as to RPV’s motivations for rescinding the statement requirement.
RPV argues vote to rescind loyalty pledge was not due to voter backlash, say it was what was in the press release
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) February 4, 2016
In response to concerns that the taxpayers were footing the bill for the cost of the statement, RPV noted that they’d offered to pay for the printing costs if they could maintain control of the forms after they were signed. Commissioner Cortes noted that’s not state policy.
Commissioner Cortés: RPV only offered to pay if party got to determine everything about the printing – not how it works
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) February 4, 2016
When asked by Commissioner Cortes why RPV didn’t come to them sooner with their concerns about the wording of the statement of affiliation, RPV responded that they had former SBE Secretary Don Palmer share a memorandum he wrote on their concerns. Cortes responded that despite Palmer’s memo, they were following guidance that had been adopted by the Republican controlled SBE dating back to 2012, when Palmer sat on the Board.
Cortés: memo to us doesn’t change position we had in 2012 and lawyers agreed that election materials not shareable
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) February 4, 2016
RPV continued to stand by their press release blaming SBE, the Governor and Attorney General Herring for their decision to rescind the statement of affiliation. This angered both Cortes and Vice Chair McAllister.
McAllister: want to make sure we’re doing what’s right for the voters of Virginia – don’t try to shift blame
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) February 4, 2016
Cortes noted that local Electoral Boards were voicing their anger with the reversal of RPV on requiring the statement, and that RPV’s attempts to portray SBE as the guilty party were exacerbating that perception. The ACLU of Virginia spoke during public comment, opposing the pledge and supporting it’s removal from state law, but arguing against reversing the pledge because the election has already begun.
But @ACLUVA says election has already begun (w/voting 1/15), and whole election needs to be uniform. “Two wrongs don’t make a right”
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) February 4, 2016
Fairfax County Registrar Cameron Sasnett also argued against the pledge, noting the concerns that Fairfax has had with implementation of the pledge, both during absentee-in person voting and potentially on election day. He noted that over 1,000 of the approximately 5,000 absentee ballots outstanding throughout the Commonwealth are in Fairfax County.
Representatives from the Trump campaign also supported reversal of the RPV requirement. Trump’s campaign brushed aside concerns about the cost to taxpayers, saying “think of the cost to the voter, it’s a small price to pay.”
In the end, Trump got his way.
It’s hard to determine what impact, if any, this decision will have on turnout on March 1st. One thing is certain – this will be a definite issue in both the RPV Chairman’s race, as well as the various SCC races across Virginia this spring.
