Virginia Law

A. Pursuant to the requirements of §§ 24.2-233 and 24.2-235 of the Code of Virginia, a petition or a petition signature should not be rendered invalid if it contains an error or omission not material to its proper processing.

B. The following omissions are always material, and any petition containing such omissions shall be rendered invalid if:

1. The petition submitted is not the double-sided document, or a double-sided copy thereof, provided by the State Board of Elections;

2. The petition does not have the name, or some variation of the name, and the office of the officer to be removed on the front of the form;

3. The petition fails to identify the applicable jurisdiction in which the officer serves;

4. The petition does not have the specific reasons or grounds for removal on the form;

5. The circulator has not signed the petition affidavit and provided the circulator's current address;

6. The circulator is a minor or a felon whose voting rights have not been restored;

7. The circulator has not signed the petition the circulator circulated in the presence of a notary;

8. The circulator has not had a notary sign the affidavit for each petition submitted;

9. A person other than the circulator signed the petition affidavit;

10. The notary has not affixed a photographically reproducible seal;

11. The notary has not included the notary's registration number and commission expiration date; or

12. Any combination of the scenarios of this subsection exists.

C. The following omissions related to individual petition signatures are always material, and any petition signature containing such omission shall be rendered invalid if:

1. The signer is not qualified to cast a ballot for the office for which the petition was circulated;

2. The signer is also the circulator of the petition;

3. The signer provided an accompanying date that is subsequent to the date upon which the notary signed the petition;

4. The signer did not sign the petition; or

5. The signer provided an address that does not match the petition signer's address in the Virginia voter registration system, unless the signer provided an address that is within the same precinct where a voter is currently registered in the Virginia voter registration system, and the signer can be reasonably identified as the same registered voter.

D. The following omissions shall be treated as nonmaterial provided the general registrar can independently and reasonably verify the validity of the petition or signature:

1. An older version of the petition is used (provided that the information presented complies with current laws, regulations, and guidelines);

2. The name of the officer to be removed and office title are omitted from the back of the petition;

3. The circulator has not provided the circulator's year of birth in the affidavit;

4. The signer omits the signer's first name, provided the signer provides a combination of the signer's first or middle initials or a middle name and last name and address that matches a qualified voter within the Virginia voter registration system;

5. The signer provided a derivative of the signer's legal name as the signer's first or middle name (e.g., "Bob" instead of "Robert");

6. The signer prints the signer's name on the "Print" line and prints the signer's name on the "Sign" line;

7. The signer fails to provide the date but a period of time that qualifies can affirmatively be established with previous and subsequent dates provided by other signers upon the petition page; or

8. The signer fails to provide the year when signing the petition.

E. A signature upon a petition shall be included in the count toward meeting the petition signature requirements only if:

1. The petition signer is a qualified voter who is maintained on the Virginia voter registration system either (i) with active status or (ii) with inactive status and qualified to vote for the office for which the petition was circulated;

2. The signer provides the signer's name; and

3. The signer provides an address that matches the petition signer's address in the Virginia voter registration system, or the signer provides an address that is within the same precinct where a voter is currently registered in the Virginia voter registration system, and the signer can be reasonably identified as the same registered voter.