October 30th Newsletter
Many thanks and a virtual round of applause for all of you who have voted early. As the numbers below demonstrate, Virginia voters are casting their ballots before election day in unprecedented numbers. There may be a variety of motivations for early voting, including concerns about COVID exposure and the potential for long lines on election day. My daughter reminded me of another significant incentive to vote: Krispy Kreme is giving away a free Original Glazed Doughnut and “I Voted” stickers on November 3rd — see you there!
There are many votes still to be cast and counted. Once the election season is behind us, I look forward to your feedback on additional ways that Virginia can improve its voting process. As we say too often, these are unprecedented times but we should use this opportunity to learn how to accommodate the safety and convenience of voters while preserving the integrity and security of the voting process.
I will continue to keep you informed with relevant, accurate information via Twitter, Facebook, and my website. Please email my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov or call us at 804-698-1173 if you have any questions or need assistance.
Sincerely,
Rodney
New Information
Voting Information
Over 2.4 million Virginians already have cast their ballot this year —that is over four times the number of Virginians that voted early in 2016!
Early Voting Ballots Cast in Virginia, VPAP News
There are only 5 days left in this year’s election season, if you have not yet cast your ballot here are the ways you can vote from now through Election Day:
Early Voting — Early voting is available until Saturday, October 31st. Thanks to legislation passed by the General Assembly last session, you no longer need an excuse to vote absentee. Simply visit your local registrar’s office with a valid form of identification. If you are registered to vote in Henrico County, here are the available times and locations to vote early in person:
Western Government Center
4301 E Parham Rd
Richmond, VA 23228
Monday - Friday — 8:00 am - 4:30pm
Saturday — 9:00am - 5:00pm
Eastern Government Center
3820 Nine Mile Rd
Richmond, VA 23223
Monday - Friday — 8:00 am - 4:30pm
Saturday — 9:00am - 5:00pm
Voting by Mail — The deadline to request an absentee ballot was last Friday, October 23rd. If you have not yet returned your absentee ballot, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Ballots must be mailed and postmarked by Election Day, November 3rd, and received by your registrar by Friday, November 6th to be counted. To guarantee your ballot is received on time, you can return your ballot by placing it into a ballot drop box at your local registrar’s office. If you are voting by mail, I highly encourage you to track the status of your ballot online via the Department of Elections Citizen Portal. Click “Check registration status” and enter in your voting information to see the status of your mail-in ballot.
Curbside Voting — If you are 65 or older, or have a physical disability, you may vote on Election Day without leaving your vehicle. Curbside voting is also available at early voting locations. If you would like to use curbside voting, make sure to use the designated parking space at the polling location and follow the instructions on any signage. Some voters find it helpful to bring someone with you who can enter the polling place to ask an election officer for curbside assistance. You may also find it helpful to call ahead to alert the officers of election of the time you plan to arrive. This is a wonderful option for voters that may not be able to wait in line due to their age or physical disability. See more information online here.
In-Person on Election Day — As always, you can vote in person on election day at your polling location from 6:00 am - 7:00 pm. You can find your polling location online using the Department of Elections Citizen Portal.
If you have any questions about voting, please do not hesitate to contact my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov.
General Assembly Special Session
On Wednesday, Governor Northam signed a number of police and criminal justice reform bills into law. Our legislature has worked closely with the Governor to reform our system of policing following the tragic deaths this summer of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. These laws will help make our communities safer and build stronger relationships with law enforcement and the citizens they are sworn to protect. Governor Northam signed the following bills into law:
HB5099 (Co-Patron) — Prohibits law enforcement officers from seeking or executing a no-knock search warrant. The bill also requires that all search warrants be executed in the daytime unless a judge or magistrate, if a judge is not available, authorizes the execution of such search warrant at another time for good cause shown. With Governor Northam’s signature, Virginia becomes the third state in the nation to ban no-knock warrants.
HB5049 (Co-Patron)— Reduces the militarization of police by prohibiting law enforcement from obtaining or using specified equipment, including grenades, weaponized aircraft, and high caliber firearms. Governor Northam amended this bill to clarify that law enforcement agencies may seek a waiver to use restricted equipment for search and rescue missions.
HB5109 (Co-Patron) — Creates statewide minimum training standards for law enforcement officers, including training on awareness of racism, the potential for biased profiling, and de-escalation techniques. Governor Northam made technical amendments to this bill to align it with Senate Bill 5030.
HB5104 (Co-Patron) — Mandates law enforcement agencies and jails request the prior employment and disciplinary history of new hires.
HB5108 (Chief Co-Patron) — Expands and diversifies the Criminal Justice Services Board, ensuring that the perspectives of social justice leaders, people of color, and mental health providers are represented in the state’s criminal justice policymaking.
HB5051 (Co-Patron) — Strengthens the process by which law enforcement officers can be decertified and allows the Criminal Justice Services Board to initiate decertification proceedings.
HB5069 (Chief Co-Patron) — Limits the circumstances in which law enforcement officers can use neck restraints.
HB5029 (Co-Patron) — Requires law enforcement officers to intervene when they witness another officer engaging or attempting to engage in the use of excessive force.
HB5045 (Co-Patron) — makes it a Class 6 felony for law enforcement officers to “carnally know” someone they have arrested or detained, an inmate, parolee, probationer, pretrial defendant, or post-trial offender, if the officer is in a position of authority over such individual.
SB5014 — Mandates the creation of minimum crisis intervention training standards and requires law enforcement officers to complete crisis intervention training.
SB5030 — Omnibus police reform legislation, incorporating a number of reform measures passed by the House of Delegates.
SB5035/HB5055 (Co-Patron) — Empowers localities to create civilian law enforcement review boards. These new laws also provide civilian review boards with the authority to issue subpoenas and make binding disciplinary decisions.
Governor Northam also signed measures to support COVID-19 relief. A full list of legislation signed by the Governor from the Special Session can be found online here.
COVID-19 in Virginia
On Wednesday, Governor Northam held a press conference on COVID-19 in Virginia. Case rates are relatively stable across most regions, with the exception of southwest Virginia, where cases have been rising and the percent positive testing rate has reached 8 percent — double the rate of other regions.
Public health experts have indicated that the spread in the southwestern region of Virginia is driven in part by family gatherings. As the weather cools down and the holiday season approaches, please continue to follow public health guidelines by wearing a mask, maintaining 6 feet of distance, and washing your hands frequently.
Virginia’s rates of COVID-19 infections have remained relatively stable thanks to the sacrifices we have made to protect ourselves and our communities. To protect one another from the spread of COVID-19, it is crucial that we continue to follow public health guidelines, especially as the weather cools down and we spend more time indoors.
Henrico County In-Person Learning Option
On October 22nd, the Henrico County School Board voted to phase in expanded in-person learning options and enhanced safety protocols. The in-person option will be phased in beginning with younger elementary students on Nov. 30 and concluding with high school students in February. HCPS families also will have the option to continue using a fully virtual approach for students. Students choosing the in-person option will be in school buildings four days a week and learn virtually from home on Wednesdays.
The schedule will be phased in over several months starting with elementary school students, who often face the most challenges with virtual learning:
Monday, Nov. 30: Grades pre-K, K, 1, and 2 will have the option to return to in-person learning.
Monday, Dec. 7: Grades 3, 4, and 5 will have the option to return to in-person learning.
Jan. 4-8: Learning will be virtual for all students during the week after Winter Break.
Monday, Feb. 1: Grades 6 and 9 will have the option to return to in-person learning.
Thursday, Feb. 4: Grades 7, 8; 10, 11, and 12 will have the option to return to in-person learning.
See more information on HCPS’s phased in-person learning option, including increased risk mitigation strategies, the school day schedule, and recorded videos of town halls and presentations by school administrators, online at henricoschools.us/returntoschoolplan/.
CVS to Offer Rapid COVID Testing in Henrico
CVS Health announced on Wednesday that they will begin offering rapid COVID-19 testing at three Henrico locations soon. The locations are among 11 CVS stores in Virginia that are debuting the testing, which will produce results within 30 minutes in most cases. Rapid tests will be available at the following locations:
11271 Nuckols Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23059
3001 Lauderdale Dr, Richmond, VA 23233
5001 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230
Rapid-result COVID-19 diagnostic tests are available at no cost to patients who meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Patients must register in advance online.
Henrico County Senior Resources Drive Through Event
Henrico County is hosting a drive-through resource fair for seniors on Thursday, November 5th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Eastern Henrico Recreational Center, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave. Henrico residents ages 60 and older can pick up free grab bags stocked with information from community organizations, personal protective equipment, and giveaway items.
The contactless event will include information and materials from eight vendors as well as COVID-19 care kits with reusable face coverings and hand sanitizer. Participants will remain in their vehicles and are encouraged to wear a face covering. This is a wonderful opportunity to get the most up-to-date information about the available programs in Henrico and receive PPE and other useful health resources.
Call (804) 501-5065 or email mor141@henrico.us for more information.
