Source: http://dls.virginia.gov/pubs/summary/2001/summar22.htm
Timestamp: 2018-12-16 09:11:27
Document Index: 389298845

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 24', '§ 24', '§1973', '§ 53', '§ 37', '§ 32']

Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; penalties. Provides for a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for the failure to file a campaign report by the due date and provides for additional $500 penalties for second and subsequent failures during one election cycle. Present law imposes a penalty of up to $300 for either late or incomplete filings. The bill requires the Secretary of the State Board of Elections to assess the penalty for missing the filing deadline and to give public notice on the Internet of the penalty and violator. The bill does not change the $300 fine now applicable to timely but incomplete filings before and after the November election. The bill also amends the special provision that imposes a penalty for each day that a statewide office campaign is in violation, increasing the daily fine from $100 to $300 and requiring the State Board to file notices of violations on the Internet.
P HB1579
Applications by ill or disabled voters for absentee ballots for multiple elections. Provides for the filing of one application by an ill or disabled voter for all elections in one calendar year. The general registrar will send such voters an application in advance of each calendar year. Present law requires a separate absentee ballot application to be filed for each election. This bill is the same as SB 1217.
P HB1580
Absentee ballot applications and procedures. Eliminates the requirement for the signature of a witness on an application for an absentee ballot. If the applicant cannot sign the application, a person assisting the applicant must note that fact on the application and sign the application. The bill does not change the requirements that there must be a witness present at the time that the absentee voter marks and seals his absentee ballot and that the witness must sign the outside of the envelope containing the marked ballot.
P HB1667
Absentee voting in certain business and medical emergency situations. Permits a person to apply for an absentee ballot and vote in person on the Monday before the election if he learned after noon on the Saturday before the election that he must be absent from the county or city on election day because of his hospitalization or an immediate family member's hospitalization or death. The bill also permits an officer of election to vote on the Monday before the election if he is assigned after Saturday at noon to work in a precinct other than his voting precinct. Present law allows a late application and in-person absentee voting on the Monday before the election in cases of business emergencies requiring travel. The usual deadline for in-person absentee voting is three days before the election. This bill permits last-minute voting until 2:00 p.m., rather than noon, on Mondays. This bill incorporates HB 1878 and HB 2212.
P HB1677
Absentee ballot applications. Expands the period during which an absentee ballot application may be filed in advance of the election from 10 months to 12 months. The bill also modifies the requirement that the office of the general registrar must be open for absentee voting on the two Saturdays immediately before any general or primary election. The bill requires the office to be open for two Saturdays only before a general election other than a May general election in a town. It requires the office to be open the Saturday immediately before any primary, May general election in a town, or special election.
P HB1708
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; exemption from reporting requirements for certain local office candidates. Provides that a candidate for local office may seek an exemption from the requirements to file periodic reports of contributions and expenditures. To qualify for the exemption, the local candidate must certify that he will not solicit or accept campaign contributions, that he will not contribute personally more than, or expend more than, $1,000 in his campaign, and that he will keep appropriate records for his campaign.
Officers of election; hours of service. Deletes the sunset clause that provided that this section would expire July 1, 2001. The section authorizes the assignment of officers of election to serve part of the election day except that the chief officer and assistant chief officer must be on duty at all times.
P HB1721
Elections; absentee voting procedures. Provides that facilities owned or leased by the state and housing both Department of Motor Vehicles facilities and a general registrar's office may be used as sites for in-person absentee voting. Present law allows in-person absentee voting only in public buildings owned or leased by the county, city, or town. This bill is the same as SB 1225.
P HB1737
Registered voters; changes of address; inactive status on voter registration system. Provides that a voter will not be deemed to authorize a change of his address on the voter registration system solely because he gives a different address on a candidate or referendum petition. However, the voter may be shifted to inactive status on the system, as a result of providing a different address on the petition, subject to routine confirmation notice procedures.
P HB1738
Election law definitions. Amends the definition of "registered voter" to provide that the requirement to mail notices of election district, precinct, and polling place changes will apply only to registered voters listed with "active" status on the Virginia voter registration system.
Voter registration applications and records. Permits certain law enforcement personnel and persons granted protective orders to provide a post office box address, either for his residence or another location in the Commonwealth. Present law requires a post office box address for the residence. The bill also excludes the residence address for these voters from the scope of the public inspection provisions on voter registration records. The definition of protective orders is revised to cover all authorized court protective orders. This bill incorporates HB 1928 and is the same as SB 1025.
P HB1771
Appeals of denials of voter registration applications. Provides that the rules for closing registration records in advance of an election apply to any application sent in by a person following a denial of his original application.
P HB1777
Temporary voter registration procedures for presidential elections. Repeals provisions enacted to allow absentee registration for presidential elections. Virginia now allows absentee or mailed voter registration applications, and this special registration process is no longer necessary to comply with federal law. In addition, other election law provisions meet the requirements of the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and cover all federal elections. This bill is the same as SB 1198.
P HB1797
Temporary registration for certain overseas voters. Revises the provisions that allow a registered voter who moves overseas to work and relinquishes his home in Virginia to continue to vote in state and local elections held where he had been registered and his home was located. The bill clarifies that the right to register under these provisions applies individually to the overseas employee and to the spouse or dependent of that employee who resides with the employee.
Absentee ballot applications. Adds a directive not to reject an application because of an error or omission that is not material in determining whether the applicant is qualified to vote absentee.
Election recount procedures and ballots cast on electronic voting devices. Provides that, where voting systems that count ballots by means of insertion in electronic counting devices are used, recounts shall examine only those ballots on which voters have apparently voted for fewer than or more than the number of candidates for which they are legally entitled to vote. The State Board of Elections is to provide standards by September 1, 2001, applicable for all recounts, for determining whether a ballot has or has not been voted for a candidate and for promoting a timely and accurate resolution of recount questions. The current statutory provision that allows parties to a recount to examine all ballots and materials is modified and replaced by a more limited examination.
P HB1853
Presidential electors; oaths, meetings, vacancies, and voting. Provides that presidential electors shall be "required" rather than "expected" to vote for the candidates of the political party or petitioners that selected the electors. The bill also requires electors to sign an oath to vote for the candidates for President and Vice President of the party or petitioners that selected the elector.
P HB1856
Absentee voting privileges and applications. Revises the provision that allows persons to vote absentee if they work long shifts on election day whether or not they are absent from the county or city in which they vote. The amendments include commuting time along with work time so that a person who commutes and works 11 of the 13 hours that the polls are open will be entitled to vote absentee. The present provision covers work time only and allows a person to vote absentee if he works 11 of the 13 hours that the polls are open.
Duties of the electoral board, general registrar, and officers of election with respect to absentee voting and absentee voter applicant lists. Eliminates the requirement that the absentee voter applicant list be posted in the office of the general registrar and at the polling place; requires, instead, that the list be held by the general registrar in his office, and by the chief election officer at the polling place, as a public record available for inspection on request. The list carries the applicant's name and residence address.
P HB1886
Assistant voter registrars. Modifies the requirement that an assistant registrar must be a qualified voter of the locality in which he serves. The bill provides that an assistant registrar must be a qualified voter of the Commonwealth and that candidates who are residents of the locality may be given preference in hiring. The change will allow a general registrar to appoint assistants from other localities.
Elections; final day for voter registration. Eliminates the requirement that the voter registrar's office close by 5:00 p.m. on the final day for voter registration, the 29th day before a primary or general election. The office must be open at least eight hours on the final day, but will be able to stay open later than 5:00 p.m. and operate more than eight hours. Notice of the times for registration on the final day must be published under § 24.2-415. This bill is the same as SB 1026.
Assistant voter registrars. Provides that any paid assistant registrar must be a qualified voter of the Commonwealth but is not required to be a qualified voter of the county or city in which he serves, and permits two or more localities to share the services of an assistant registrar. This bill is the same as SB 946 and SB 1027.
P HB1933
Campaign contributions and expenditures; petty cash funds. Requires that official campaign depository checks show the name of the candidate and campaign committee.
P HB2076
Election of directors of soil and water conservation district directors. Transfers certain responsibilities from the Department of Conservation and Recreation to the State Board of Elections regarding elections and candidates for directors of soil and water conservation districts.
P HB2211
Voter registration; cancellation of registration. Permits the cancellation of a voter's registration by the general registrar after receipt by the Department of Motor Vehicles of notice from another jurisdiction pursuant to the Driver License Compact that the voter has moved from the Commonwealth. The bill requires DMV to forward pertinent information to the general registrar and the mailing of a cancellation notice by the general registrar.
P HB2233
Undervoted and overvoted ballots. Requires that electronic counting devices report, if possible, the number of ballots on which voters apparently voted for fewer candidates than allowed and the number on which voters voted for more candidates than authorized.
Violations of the reporting requirements of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act and penalties. Revises the provisions on reporting violations of the Act in accordance with recommendations of the joint subcommittee studying campaign finance reform pursuant to HJR 213 and SJR 80 (2000). The bill (i) authorizes the State Board and the appropriate local election official to review disclosure reports for completeness and request additional information; (ii) provides for the jurisdiction of the appropriate attorney for the Commonwealth for statewide and other campaigns; (iii) authorizes the State Board or appropriate local election official to assess and collect the civil penalty for violations of the reporting requirements before referring the violation to the attorney for the Commonwealth; (iv) provides for payment of civil penalties collected at the local level to the locality; and (v) provides for public notice on the Internet of violations by candidates for statewide office or the General Assembly involving the failure to file a required report by the required deadline. The bill takes effect July 1, 2002.
P HB2325
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; reports of contributions and expenditures. Incorporates recommendations by the joint subcommittee studying campaign finance reform pursuant to HJR 213 and SJR 80 (2000). The changes include: (i) clarifying the information required on occupation and place of business for individual and other contributors; (ii) requiring specific information on expenditures made by credit card payments; and (iii) requiring reports for statewide and General Assembly candidates to be received by the State Board by the filing deadline either by mail or by fax with an original copy mailed and postmarked by the filing deadline. The bill is effective July 1, 2002.
P HB2646
Illegal voting and registrations. Provides that any person who votes more than once, or induces another to vote more than once, in the same election is guilty of a Class 6 felony; and that any person who intentionally registers more than once, or induces another to register more than once, at multiple addresses is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
P HB2849
Recount procedures. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall promulgate standards by September 1, 2001, to be followed in the handling and counting of ballots for election recounts. The bill also provides for State Board recommendations by December 1, 2001, for permanent standards that may be enacted into law.
P SB946
Assistant voter registrars. Provides that any paid assistant registrar must be a qualified voter of the Commonwealth but is not required to be a qualified voter of the county or city in which he serves, and permits two or more localities to share the services of an assistant registrar. This bill is the same as SB 1027 and HB 1927.
P SB964
Combined precinct registered voter list and pollbook. Extends from July 1, 2001, to July 1, 2002, the time for the State Board of Elections to conduct pilot programs to test the use of one list that combines the functions of the registered voter list and pollbook. The bill also provides for the Board to report its evaluation of the pilot programs to any study committee established by the General Assembly to study this issue and to the General Assembly prior to the 2002 Regular Session.
P SB986
Recounts involving punch card voting devices. Provides that the machine count will be the official count and sets out standards to review punch card ballots not accepted by the counting machine. The bill provides that a vote should be counted if two or more corners of the chad are broken or separated from the card. Separation of only one corner of a chad would not be deemed a vote, nor would any depression, dimple, or other mark.
P SB1025
Voter registration applications and records. Permits certain law enforcement personnel and persons granted protective orders to provide a post office box address, either for his residence or another location in the Commonwealth. Present law requires a post office box address for the residence. The bill also excludes the residence address for these voters from the scope of the public inspection provisions on voter registration records. The definition of protective orders is revised to cover all authorized court protective orders. This bill is the same as HB 1770.
Elections; final day for voter registration. Eliminates the requirement that the voter registrar's office close by 5:00 p.m. on the final day for voter registration, the 29th day before a primary or general election. The office must be open at least eight hours on the final day, but will be able to stay open later than 5:00 p.m. and operate more than eight hours. Notice of the times for registration on the final day must be published under § 24.2-415. This bill is the same as HB 1925.
P SB1027
Assistant voter registrars. Provides that any paid assistant registrar must be a qualified voter of the Commonwealth but is not required to be a qualified voter of the county or city in which he serves, and permits two or more localities to share the services of an assistant registrar. This bill is the same as SB 946 and HB 1927.
Election districts and voting precincts. Preserves the present law requirement that election districts and voting precincts follow "clearly observable boundaries" but eliminates an obsolete provision referring to block boundaries shown on the 1990 United States Census maps. The bill also repeals the law that freezes precinct lines from September 1, 1998, to May 15, 2001. That precinct freeze was enacted to enable the Commonwealth to participate in the Census Bureau program to provide 2000 population census data by precinct. Emergency in part.
Elections; change of registered voter's address. Allows registered voters within the Commonwealth to notify their general registrars of address changes by mail or fax.
Temporary voter registration procedures for presidential elections. Repeals provisions enacted to allow absentee registration for presidential elections. Virginia now allows absentee or mailed voter registration applications, and this special registration process is no longer necessary to comply with federal law. In addition, other election law provisions meet the requirements of the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and cover all federal elections. This bill is the same as HB 1777.
Applications by ill or disabled voters for absentee ballots for multiple elections. Provides for the filing of one application by an ill or disabled voter for all elections in one calendar year. The general registrar will send such voters an application in advance of each calendar year. Present law requires a separate absentee ballot application to be filed for each election. This bill is the same as HB 1579.
P SB1225
Elections; absentee voting procedures. Provides that facilities owned or leased by the state and housing both Department of Motor Vehicles facilities and a general registrar's office may be used as sites for in-person absentee voting. Present law allows in-person absentee voting only in public buildings owned or leased by the county, city, or town. This bill is the same as HB 1721.
P SB1244
Paid political advertisements. Requires the newspaper, magazine, periodical, or radio or television station that accepts an advertisement advocating the election or defeat of any candidate to obtain proof of identity or a telephone number for the person submitting the advertisement when the authorization statement for the advertisement states that an individual is responsible for the advertisement. The proof of identity requirement does not apply if the advertisement carries an authorization statement showing that the candidate, a candidate campaign committee, a political party committee, or a political committee registered with the State Board of Elections has authorized the advertisement. This bill incorporates SB 1168.
P SB1275
Violations of the reporting requirements of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act and penalties. Revises the provisions on reporting violations of the Act in accordance with recommendations of the joint subcommittee studying campaign finance reform pursuant to HJR 213 and SJR 80 (2000). The bill (i) authorizes the State Board and the appropriate local election official to review disclosure reports for completeness and request additional information; (ii) provides for the jurisdiction of the appropriate attorney for the Commonwealth for statewide and other campaigns; (iii) authorizes the State Board or appropriate local election official to assess and collect the civil penalty for violations of the reporting requirements before referring the violation to the attorney for the Commonwealth; (iv) provides for payment of civil penalties collected at the local level to the locality; and (v) provides for increased penalties and public notice on the Internet of violations by candidates for statewide office or the General Assembly involving the failure to file a required report by the required deadline.
P SB1277
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; reports of contributions and expenditures. Incorporates recommendations by the joint subcommittee studying campaign finance reform pursuant to HJR 213 and SJR 80 (2000). The changes include: (i) clarifying the information required on occupation and place of business for individual and other contributors; (ii) requiring specific information on expenditures made by credit card payments; and (iii) requiring reports for state-wide and General Assembly candidates to be received by the State Board by the filing deadline either by mail or by fax with an original copy mailed and postmarked by the filing deadline. This bill is effective in due course.
F HB1690
Elections; form of ballots; identifying words on ballots. Provides for identification of a candidate, other than a political party candidate, by the use of the term "Independent" or an alternative designation provided by the candidate on his candidate petition. If a non-party candidate does not provide for a designation, the space for the political party name or designation will be left blank. The 2000 General Assembly provided for identification of candidates on the ballot by the name of the political party that nominated the candidate or by the term "Independent" effective January 1, 2001.
F HB1723
Polling places and times. Permits electoral boards to provide that a United States flag will be on display in every polling place while the polls are open for voting.
F HB1763
Prohibited campaign contributions; government contractors. Prohibits government contractors at the state level from contributing to candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and the General Assembly from the time negotiations begin through the later of (i) completion of performance or (ii) termination of negotiations. The bill includes a parallel prohibition on local government contractors. Candidates are prohibited from knowingly soliciting the prohibited contributions. A knowing and willful violation constitutes a Class 1 misdemeanor with a fine not to exceed the greater of $2,500 or 300 percent of the illegal contribution.
F HB1764
Campaign Finance Reform Act. Imposes limits on contributions to candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and the General Assembly by corporations, labor organizations, and political committees (PACs). The limit on contributions to a statewide office candidate is $10,000 per election cycle. The limit on contributions to a General Assembly candidate is $5,000 per election cycle. There are no limits on contributions by individuals or political party committees or by a candidate to his own campaign. Civil penalties for violations of the limits may equal up to two times the excess contribution amounts. The bill is effective January 1, 2002.
F HB1784
General Assembly Campaign Finance Reform Act. Imposes limits on contributions to candidates for the General Assembly made on and after January 1, 2002. The limit on contributions by individuals and other persons to a General Assembly candidate is $2,000 per election cycle; on contributions by political action committees, $10,000; and on contributions by political party committees, $20,000. There are no limits on contributions by a candidate to his own campaign. Civil penalties for violations of the limits by the contributor and the recipient may equal twice the amount of the excess contribution.
F HB1789
Hours that polls are open for voting. Adds one hour to the time that the polls are open for voting by moving the closing time from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The bill also makes conforming changes to the absentee voting law.
Conditional ballots; voters whose names are not on the precinct registered voter list. Provides that a person whose name is not on the precinct registered voter list may be given a conditional ballot if the general registrar is not available or cannot verify that the person either is or is not a qualified voter. Present law does not explicitly cover the situation when the general registrar's records show that the person is not a qualified voter, and the bill provides that a conditional ballot need not be given to a person if the general registrar can state that he is not a qualified voter.
F HB1878
Absentee voting by certain officers of election. Permits an officer of election to apply for an absentee ballot and vote in person on the Monday before the election if he learned after noon on the Saturday before the election that he has been assigned to work in a precinct other than the precinct where he votes. The usual deadline for in-person absentee voting is three days before the election. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1667.
Statewide mailing of voter registration cards. Requires the State Board of Elections to provide for a mailing of cards to all voters on the voter registration system in advance of the November 2001 general election. The costs of the mailing are to be paid by the Commonwealth as provided in the appropriation act.
F HB1928
Lists of registered voters and persons voting; voter registration applications. Expands the list of protective orders that qualify a voter to provide a post office box address to be used in lieu of his street address on the lists sold by the State Board. The bill also gives the State Board discretion to furnish the post office box address, in lieu of the street address, on other lists and reports to protect the street address information for persons with protective orders and for certain law-enforcement officials. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1770.
F HB1929
F HB2115
Audits of campaigns for local governing bodies. Requires the campaign committee of a candidate for the local governing body of any county or city, or town with a population of 25,000 or more, to obtain an audit of the campaign records of the committee and forward the audit to the State Board of Elections within 90 days of the election. The requirement applies only to campaign committees expending more than $10,000 in the course of the campaign. The State Board will define the scope of the audit and take action to have irregularities corrected, or applicable penalties imposed, by the appropriate local electoral board or attorney for the Commonwealth.
F HB2193
Elections; DMV voter registration. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to forward any partially completed voter registration application of any person 17 years of age or older as directed by the State Board of Elections not later than five business days after the date of receipt.
F HB2194
Elections; Department of Motor Vehicles voter registration form. Requires DMV to revise its voter registration form to place the signature line at the end of the form and include a statement in capital bold-faced letters reminding the registrant to sign and date the voter registration portion of the form.
Elections; determination and announcement of vote on voting equipment. Requires that, after the officers of election announce the results shown on voting equipment to persons lawfully present at the polls, the officers shall report the results to the electoral board or general registrar before reporting the results to any other person.
F HB2212
Absentee voting; business emergencies. Extends the time for voting absentee in person on the Monday before an election at the general registrar's office in cases of business emergencies. Present law provides for voting before noon. The bill allows voting at any time before 2:00 p.m. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1667.
F HB2317
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; penalties. Provides for a civil penalty of $500 for the failure to file a campaign report by the appropriate deadline. Present law imposes a penalty of up to $300 for either late or incomplete filings. The bill requires the Secretary of the State Board of Elections to assess the penalty for missing the filing deadline and to give public notice on the Internet of the penalty and violator within five days of the missed deadline. The bill does not change the penalties now applicable to timely but incomplete filings. The bill also amends the special provision that imposes a penalty for each day that a statewide office campaign is in violation, increasing the daily fine from $100 to $300.
F HB2324
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act, record retention requirements and reviews of campaign finance disclosure reports. Incorporates recommendations by the joint subcommittee studying campaign finance reform pursuant to HJR 213 and SJR 80 (2000). The changes include: (i) the requirement that the State Board of Elections review the campaign finance reports of candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and 10 percent of the candidates for the General Assembly selected at random; (ii) provision that the review shall be for the purposes of (a) reconciling the balance in the campaign depository with the amounts reported in the candidate's reports of receipts and expenditures and (b) reviewing the reports for mathematical accuracy and facial completeness including the reporting of specific information required by law; (iii) the requirement that the Board meet publicly to select on a random basis by a drawing the General Assembly candidate campaigns to review; (iv) provision to exempt any campaign committee from review if it has received less than $25,000 in contributions; and (v) the requirement that the campaign treasurer retain, and provide on request by the Board, the bank statements and copies of checks issued on campaign depositories and receipts for campaign fund expenditures greater than $500. The bill takes effect January 1, 2002.
Virginia Election Equipment Grants Program and Fund. Establishes the Program and Fund to assist counties and cities to purchase election equipment and improve existing equipment for the purpose of assuring the integrity and accuracy of elections.
Primary elections; voter registration by political party. Adds party affiliation to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when registering to vote beginning January 1, 2002. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. Voters registered prior to January 1, 2002, will be designated as independent unless they provide a political party designation to the general registrar. Voters may change their party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time except the 28 days before an election when the registration records are closed. The state party chairman must notify the State Board by January 31 of each year whether the party will close its primaries and permit only registered party members to participate or whether it will open its primaries to party members and independent voters.
F HB2566
Electoral college. Provides that the Commonwealth's votes in the electoral college shall be allocated by the popular vote statewide and in each congressional district. The candidates for President and Vice President who win the popular statewide vote will receive the votes of the two statewide electors and the candidates who win the popular vote in each congressional district will receive the vote of that district's elector. Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral college votes in this manner. This bill is identical to SB 1219.
Political advertisements; disclosure requirements. Requires that print, television, and radio advertisements supporting or opposing the nomination or election of clearly identified candidates contain specific information regarding the sponsor of the advertisement. This bill is patterned after the North Carolina "Stand By Your Ad Act."
F HB2618
Elections; final day to register to vote before election. Provides for keeping the registration records open and allowing persons to register up through the 15th, rather than 29th, day before the election. This bill is identical to SB 1333.
F HB2621
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; large expenditures; record retention requirements. Requires the treasurer of the campaign committee for a candidate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or the General Assembly to retain detailed and specific records, receipts, and invoices for large expenditures ($25,000 for a statewide campaign and $10,000 for a General Assembly campaign) paid to one recipient during a campaign. The bill requires the treasurer to make copies of the records, receipts, and invoices available within five working days of a written request for the information.
F HB2645
Party designations on the ballot. Extends to local elections, other than school board elections, the identification of candidates by party name on the ballot. An exception is made for any city or town whose charter prohibits party names on the ballot. Under legislation enacted by the 2000 General Assembly and effective January 1, 2001, federal, statewide, and General Assembly candidates already are to be identified by party. The bill explicitly provides that an endorsement by a political party of a candidate who qualifies for the ballot through the petition process is not grounds for identifying that candidate by the party's name.
F HB2665
Officers of election. Prohibits the appointment of any person to serve as an officer who is the spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, child, or grandchild of a member of the electoral board or of the general registrar or a paid assistant or deputy registrar.
F HB2681
Campaign Finance Reform Act. Imposes limits on contributions to candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and the General Assembly. The limit on contributions by individuals and other persons to a statewide office candidate is $10,000 per election cycle and, on contributions by political action committees (PACs), $20,000. The limit on contributions by individuals and other persons to a General Assembly candidate is $2,000 per election cycle and, on contributions by PACs, $4,000. There are no limits on contributions by political party committees or by a candidate to his own campaign. Civil penalties for violations of the limits may equal up to two times the excess contribution amounts.
F HB2686
Voter registration services at Department of Motor Vehicle facilities. Provides that the state will pay the costs of furnishing voter registration services at Department of Motor Vehicles facilities through appropriations to the Department of Motor Vehicles or the State Board of Elections, or both, or reimbursements to the localities for costs associated with furnishing such services. This bill is identical to SB 951.
Elections; "no excuse" absentee voting. Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee for any reason. The bill eliminates the present statutory list of specific reasons entitling a voter to cast an absentee ballot. Several special provisions concerning military and overseas absentee voters are consolidated in one new provision. This bill is identical to SB 1373.
Absentee voting procedures; in-person absentee voting. Provides for "no excuse" in-person absentee voting during the period from the 25th day before a general election through the third day before the election. The bill requires the general registrar's office to be open for in-person absentee voting at least 20 hours during non-business hours in the 25 days before the election.
F HB2863
Campaign fundraising during legislative sessions. Amends the current law to prohibit fundraising during the session by members of the Governor's cabinet and employees of the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Also, clarifies current law regarding fundraising during the session for political committees by General Assembly members and statewide officials. This bill is identical to SB 1383.
F SB893
Absentee voting procedures; in-person absentee voting. Provides for "no excuse" in-person absentee voting during the period from the 25th day before the November election through the third day before the election.
F SB929
Counting and recounting ballots by hand. Requires that the State Board of Elections prescribe and publish standards by September 1, 2001, to be used in hand counting or recounting paper ballots and ballots designed for electronic counting devices, for determining the intent of the voter to vote for a candidate. The bill also provides for State Board recommendations by December 1, 2001, for permanent standards to be enacted into law.
F SB951
Voter registration services at Department of Motor Vehicle facilities. Provides that the Commonwealth will pay the costs of furnishing voter registration services at Department of Motor Vehicles facilities through appropriations to the Department of Motor Vehicles or the State Board of Elections, or both, or reimbursements to the localities for costs associated with furnishing such services. This bill is identical to HB 2686.
General Assembly Campaign Finance Reform Act. Imposes limits on contributions to candidates for the General Assembly made on and after January 1, 2002. The limit on contributions by individuals and other persons to a General Assembly candidate is $2,000 per election cycle; on contributions by political action committees, $5,000; and on contributions by political party committees, $10,000. There are no limits on contributions by a candidate to his own campaign. Civil penalties for violations of the limits by the contributor and the recipient may equal twice the amount of the excess contribution.
F SB975
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; audits of certain campaign committees. Requires the State Board of Elections to have an audit conducted of each candidate campaign committee for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General and of no more than four percent of the candidate campaign committees, selected randomly, for the General Assembly. The State Board is authorized to compel production of bank statements for the campaign depository and of receipts and records for campaign expenditures of more than $100 as part of its audit authority. No audit shall be conducted for committees expending less than $25,000. The State Board is required to report its audit findings to the Governor and General Assembly during the February following the election year for the office.
F SB1168
Paid political advertisements. Requires the newspaper, magazine, periodical, or radio or television station that accepts an advertisement advocating the election or defeat of any candidate to obtain proof of identity or the telephone number for the person submitting the advertisement when the authorization statement on the advertisement states that an individual is responsible for the advertisement. The proof of identity requirement does not apply if the advertisement carries an authorization statement showing that the candidate, a candidate campaign committee, a political party committee, or a political committee registered with the State Board of Elections has authorized the advertisement. This bill has been incorporated into SB 1244.
F SB1216
Absentee voting privileges and applications. Provides that a voter may vote absentee, although not absent from his county or city, if circumstances associated with his work or business prevent him from voting in person. The bill replaces a more limited provision that entitles a voter to vote absentee if he will be at his place of work 11 or more of the 13 hours that the polls are open.
Electoral college. Provides that the Commonwealth's votes in the electoral college shall be allocated by the popular vote statewide and in each congressional district. The candidates for President and Vice President who win the popular statewide vote will receive the votes of the two statewide electors and the candidates who win the popular vote in each congressional district will receive the vote of that district's elector. Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral college votes in this manner. This bill is identical to HB 2566.
F SB1223
Voting materials; language alternatives. Provides that the State Board of Elections will prescribe voting materials in a language other than English if the Commonwealth or a locality is required to provide such materials pursuant to the bilingual election requirements of federal law (42 U.S.C. §1973aa-1a). The federal law becomes applicable after the Director of the Census determines that more than five percent of the voting age citizens of a state or locality are members of a single language minority and are limited-English proficient, or more than 10,000 voting age citizens of a locality are members of a single language minority and are limited-English proficient, and that the illiteracy rate of the citizens of the language minority as a group is higher than the national illiteracy rate. The bill anticipates the possibility that the Director may determine, following the 2000 Census, that one or more Virginia localities have become subject to the federal bi-lingual voting materials requirements. The Director's determination is based on information from the long-form census questionnaire and will be published in the Federal Registrar. His determinations following the 1990 Census were published September 18, 1992.
F SB1276
Campaign Finance Disclosure Act, record retention requirements and reviews of campaign finance disclosure reports. Incorporates recommendations by the joint subcommittee studying campaign finance reform pursuant to HJR 213 and SJR 80 (2000). The changes include: (i) the requirement that the State Board of Elections review the campaign finance reports of candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and 10 percent of the candidates for the General Assembly selected at random; (ii) provision that the review shall be for the purposes of (a) reconciling the balance in the campaign depository with the amounts reported in the candidate's reports of receipts and expenditures and (b) reviewing the reports for mathematical accuracy and facial completeness including the reporting of specific information required by law; (iii) the requirement that the Board meet publicly to select on a random basis by a drawing the General Assembly candidate campaigns to review; (iv) provision to exempt any campaign committee from review if it has received less than $25,000 in contributions; and (v) the requirement that the campaign treasurer retain, and provide on request by the Board, the bank statements and copies of checks issued on campaign depositories and receipts for campaign fund expenditures greater than $500.
F SB1333
Elections; final day to register to vote before election. Provides for keeping the registration records open and allowing persons to register up through the 15th, rather than 29th, day before the election. This bill is identical to HB 2618.
F SB1373
Elections; "no excuse" absentee voting. Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee for any reason. The bill eliminates the present statutory list of specific reasons entitling a voter to cast an absentee ballot. Several special provisions concerning military and overseas absentee voters are consolidated in one new provision. This bill is identical to HB 2781.
F SB1380
Election laws offenses relating to registration and absentee voting procedures; penalties. Provides that it is a Class 4 felony (two to 10 years imprisonment; fine up to $100,000) for any person (i) to induce or assist two or more persons to register to vote knowing that they are not qualified to register by reason of a felony conviction or (ii) to knowingly violate the absentee voting laws with respect to applications for ballots or the voting of absentee ballots by two or more persons residing in one state or local correctional facility as defined in § 53.1-1, facility, hospital, or private institution as defined in § 37.1-1, or medical care facility as defined in § 32.1-102.1.
F SB1383
Campaign fundraising during legislative session. Amends the current law to prohibit fundraising during the session by members of the Governor's cabinet and employees of the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Also, clarifies current law regarding fundraising during the session for political committees by General Assembly members and statewide officials. This bill is identical to HB 2863.