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Gov. Northam removes Lee-Jackson Day as a state holiday, brings early voting to Virginia

Polls will be open for an extra hour

Vote Here (ThoughtCo)

RICHMOND, Va. – Government employees have had Lee-Jackson Day off for the final time.

Gov. Northam announced that among the voting-related bills he signed, House Bill 108 and Senate Bill 601 will make Election Day a state holiday while stripping Lee-Jackson Day of that status, to maintain the same number of state holidays.

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The governor also signed House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 111, which allows Virginians to vote 45 days prior to an election without a stated excuse. Currently voters who wish to vote absentee must provide a reason, from an approved list, why they are unable to vote on Election Day.

Here are some of the other bills the governor signed related to expanding access to voting:


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