Chapter 50. Candidate Qualification
1VAC20-50-10. (Reserved.). (Reserved)
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 27, Issue 16, eff. March 28, 2011.
1VAC20-50-20. Material omissions from candidate petitions and petition signature qualifications.
A. Pursuant to the requirements of §§ 24.2-506, 24.2-521, and 24.2-543 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 address of the candidate on the front of the form;
3. The petition fails to identify the office sought on the front of the form;
4. The petition fails to identify the applicable election district in which the candidate is running for office;
5.The circulator has not signed the petition affidavit and provided his 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 he 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 his 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 "election information" including (i) county, city, or town in which the election will be held; (ii) election type; and (iii) date of election are omitted;
3. The name of the candidate and office sought are omitted from the back of the petition;
4. The circulator has not provided the last four digits of his social security number in the affidavit;
5. The signer omits his first name, provided he provides a combination of his first or middle initials or a middle name and last name and address that matches a qualified voter within the Virginia voter registration system;
6. The signer provided a derivative of his legal name as his first or middle name (e.g., "Bob" instead of "Robert");
7. The signer prints his name on the "Print" line and prints his name on the "Sign" line;
8. 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
9. 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 his name; and
3. The signer provides an address that matches the petition signer 's address in the Virginia voter registration system, or 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.
Statutory Authority
§§ 24.2-103 and 24.2-506 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 27, Issue 16, eff. March 28, 2011; amended, Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 1, eff. August 29, 2012; Volume 29, Issue 24, eff. July 12, 2013; Volume 35, Issue 11, eff. January 1, 2019.
1VAC20-50-30. Appeals of petition signature insufficiency.
A. Pursuant to the requirements of §§ 24.2-506 and 24.2-543 of the Code of Virginia, a candidate for office, other than a party nominee, may appeal a determination that the candidate has failed to provide the required number of valid petition signatures necessary to qualify to appear on the ballot.
B. Any communication or notice required in this section shall be made in writing and delivered by mail or, unless otherwise prohibited by the Code of Virginia, electronically by electronic mail or facsimile. Notice of appeal from candidates must bear a photographically reproducible notary seal and be received by the deadlines established within this section.
C. A candidate for a county, city, or town office shall file his appeal with the local electoral board. A candidate for any other office shall file his appeal with the State Board of Elections.
D. A candidate for an office other than President of the United States must file his appeal within five calendar days of the issuance of the notice of disqualification.
E. A candidate for President of the United States must file his appeal within seven calendar days of the issuance of the notice of disqualification.
F. The proper body to which the appeal notice was given shall establish the time and place where the appeal will be heard and convey this information immediately to the candidate. Electronic mail will be the preferred method of notifying the candidate if such address has been provided by the candidate; otherwise, notice shall be sent by first-class mail.
G. The candidate bears the burden of proof in establishing that a sufficient number of signatures from qualified voters were timely provided.
1. The candidate must submit a list containing the rejected signatures to be reviewed and the specific reason for each signature's reconsideration at least two business days prior to the date on which the appeal will be heard. If the candidate submits no list, or submits a list that contains an insufficient number of names and reconsideration reasons to make up the number of signatures by which the candidate was deemed deficient, no appeal shall be held and the initial determination that the candidate did not qualify for the ballot will be final.
2. The candidate may submit documents clarifying the status of persons whose signatures were rejected for lacking proper registration status or residence.
3. The candidate may submit documents establishing the age of majority for any signer who was listed as ineligible due to status of being a legal minor.
4. The candidate may submit affidavits from persons whose signatures were rejected due to illegibility that attest to their identity. The affidavits should state the person's name, residence address, and, if possible, a reasonable description of the location where approached by the circulator to sign the petition.
5. The candidate may not submit documents establishing that a petition signer became registered or updated his voter registration status to the address provided upon the petition after the established candidate filing deadline for the office sought.
H. Individual signatures reconsidered during the appeal will only count towards the candidate's requisite number if a majority of board members agree that sufficient evidence exists for their inclusion.
I. All determinations of the board before which the appeal is being heard shall be considered final and not subject to further appeal.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2013; amended, Virginia Register Volume 30, Issue 9, eff. December 30, 2013.
1VAC20-50-40. Review of canceled voter petition.
A. Pursuant to the requirements of § 24.2-506 B of the Code of Virginia, in the event a petition signer's voter registration status is canceled at the time of processing petition signatures:
1. The petition signer's name and reason for cancelation must be recorded on a list.
2. A list of canceled voter petition signatures must be retained by the reviewing entity with the candidate's petition page.
B. The candidate's petition page and the list of canceled voter petition signatures may be provided to the appropriate authorities pursuant to § 24.2-1016 of the Code of Virginia.
Statutory Authority
§§ 24.2-103 and 24.2-506 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 36, Issue 4, eff. January 1, 2020.
Forms (1VAC20-50)
Commonwealth of Virginia Petition of Qualified Voters, SBE 506/521 (rev. 7/2010)