Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a number of bills into law Sunday to expand voter access and repeal the state’s voter ID law.

• House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 111 expand access to early voting 45 days prior to an election without any reason;
• House Bill 19 and Senate Bill 65 remove the requirement that voters show a photo ID prior to casting a ballot;
• House Bill 108 and Senate Bill 601 make Election Day a state holiday. In order to do so, the measure repeals the state’s Lee-Jackson Day, which was created more than 100 years ago for Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
• House Bill 235 and Senate Bill 219 implement automatic voter registration for individuals accessing services at state Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV);
• House Bill 238 and House Bill 239 expand absentee voting timelines; and
• House Bill 1678 sets polls to close at 8PM rather than the previous 7PM.

“Voting is a fundamental right, and these new laws strengthen our democracy by making it easier to cast a ballot, not harder,” said Northam in a statement. “No matter who you are or where you live in Virginia, your voice deserves to be heard. I’m proud to sign these bills into law.”

This voter-access expansion comes as states grapple with what to do amid COVID-19 during a presidential election year. Last Monday the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked Governor Tony Evers’ emergency executive order to postpone the state’s primary election, and the US Supreme Court denied an extension of absentee ballot submission deadlines. A lawsuit against Ohio regarding the state legislature’s decision to move its voting date and extend absentee voting was dismissed earlier this month.