Chapter 60. Election Administration
1VAC20-60-10. (Reserved.). (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.
1VAC20-60-20. Material omissions on referendum petitions and petition signature qualifications.
A. Pursuant to the requirements of § 24.2-684.1 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 "question" or "referendum issue" is not stated in a manner set forth by law on the front of the petition;
3. The circulator has not signed the petition affidavit and provided his current address;
4. The circulator is a minor or a felon whose voting rights have not been restored;
5. The circulator has not signed the affidavit for the petition he circulated in the presence of a notary;
6. The circulator has not had a notary sign the affidavit for each petition submitted;
7. A person other than the circulator signed the petition affidavit;
8. The notary has not affixed a photographically reproducible seal;
9. The notary has not included his registration number and commission expiration date; or
10. Any combination of the aforementioned scenarios 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 referendum 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 circulator has not provided the last four digits of his social security number in the affidavit;
4. 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;
5. The signer provided a derivative of his legal name as his first or middle name (e.g., "Bob" instead of "Robert");
6. The signer prints his name on the "Print" line and prints his name on the "Sign" line; or
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.
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.
1VAC20-60-30. Electronic devices in polling place.
A. The use of electronic devices inside the polling place is generally permitted. However, representatives of candidates and political parties authorized to observe the election are prohibited from taking photos or video within the polling place.
B. Officers of election are authorized to monitor the use of an electronic device by any individual in the polling place. Officers of election may restrict the use of an electronic device by any individual if that use hinders, delays, or disrupts the voting process; if that use attempts to solicit or in any manner attempts to influence any person in casting his vote; or if the individual attempts to intimidate another individual through use of an electronic device. Whether use of an electronic device by an individual is deemed in violation of this section is within the discretion of the majority of officers of election at each polling place. Upon determination of a violation of this section, the officers of election may (i) require any individual to cease the use of an electronic device, (ii) require any individual to limit the use of an electronic device to outside the polling place, or (iii) remove any individual from the polling place.
C. No voter may be removed from the polling place for the use of an electronic device until after the voter has cast his ballot.
D. The determination of the officers of election of any dispute concerning the use of an electronic device shall be subject to immediate appeal to the local electoral board.
E. An electoral board may not enact any policy that disallows the use of any electronic device by all individuals.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 4, eff. October 5, 2011; amended Virginia Register Volume 33, Issue 4, eff. October 4, 2016.
1VAC20-60-40. When ballot cast.
A. A voter, voting in person on election day or voting absentee in-person, has not voted until a permanent record of the voter's intent is preserved.
B. A permanent record is preserved by a voter (i) pressing the vote or cast button on a direct recording electronic machine, (ii) inserting an optical scan ballot into an electronic counter, or (iii) placing a paper ballot in an official ballot container.
C. A vote has not been cast by the voter unless and until the voter or an officer of election or assistant at the direction of and on behalf of the voter pursuant to § 24.2-649 of the Code of Virginia completes these actions to preserve a permanent record of the vote.
D. If any voter's ballot was not so cast by or at the direction of the voter, then the ballot cannot be cast by any officer of election or other person present. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, if a voter inserts a ballot into an optical scanner and departs prior to the ballot being returned by the scanner due to an undervote or overvote, the officer of election may cast the ballot for the absent voter.
E. An absentee voter who votes other than in person shall be deemed to have cast his ballot at the moment he personally delivers the ballot to the general registrar or electoral board or relinquishes control over the ballot to the U.S. Postal Service or other authorized carrier for returning the ballot as required by law.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 4, eff. October 5, 2011, amended, Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 5, eff. October 22, 2012; Volume 30, Issue 1, eff. August 21, 2013; Volume 33, Issue 4, eff. October 4, 2016.
1VAC20-60-50. Overfull optical scan ballot container.
A. If an optical scan reader in use in a polling place or a central absentee precinct malfunctions because the connected ballot container includes too many ballots, election officials may open the ballot container and empty the ballots with the following safeguards:
1. The optical scan ballot container shall be opened in plain sight of any authorized party representatives or other observers and, once the ballots have been deposited into an auxiliary ballot container, both ballot containers shall remain in plain sight in the polling place.
2. Any such auxiliary ballot container used shall meet the requirements of § 24.2-623 of the Code of Virginia.
3. In a general, special, or dual-party primary election, a minimum of two officers of election, not representing the same political party, shall execute such a transfer of ballots. In a single-party primary election, the transfer shall be conducted by a minimum of two officers of election who may represent the same party.
B. In the event that an optical scan reader in a general registrar's office or satellite location malfunctions because the connected ballot container includes too many ballots or there is no storage for ballots, election officials may follow either the process outlined in subsection A of this section or the following alternative procedure:
1. The general registrar, assistant registrars, or officers of election may remove the overflow ballots from the connected ballot container and place them in a secure container.
2. That container will be sealed or locked by the general registrar, assistant registrars, or officers of election with their signatures, the date, and a record of the number of ballots that have been secured in that container.
3. The sealed or locked container shall be immediately transported to the general registrar's office by either the officers of election, the general registrar, or an assistant general registrar.
4. At the general registrar's office, the container shall be stored in a secure, locked location that is away from the access or view of the public and that is accessible only to the general registrar or assistant registrars.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 4, eff. October 5, 2011; amended, Virginia Register Volume 33, Issue 4, eff. October 4, 2016; Volume 37, Issue 6, eff. October 26, 2020.
1VAC20-60-60. Provisional votes.
The electoral board or general registrar may attempt to contact an individual who has voted a provisional ballot when required by § 24.2-643 of the Code of Virginia and remind the individual that he is permitted to provide a copy of a form of identification as specified in subsection B of § 24.2-643 of the Code of Virginia to arrive no later than noon on the Friday after election day. However, there shall be no requirement that the electoral board or general registrar contact such individual.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 1, eff. August 29, 2012.
1VAC20-60-70. Mandatory logic and accuracy testing for electronic pollbooks.
All localities must perform logic and accuracy testing on their electronic pollbooks (EPBs) and certify to the Department of Elections that testing was completed by noon on the day prior to any election. This testing must confirm that the EPBs will provide promptly an accurate and secure record of those who have voted pursuant to § 24.2-611 of the Code of Virginia. Specifically, the logic and accuracy testing must do the following:
1. The logic and accuracy testing must confirm that the appropriate election-specific data files were downloaded to the electronic pollbook. In dual primary elections, localities must show that applicable voter registration files were downloaded from both political parties so that the combined data files contain all voters and all absentee ballot information for voters eligible to participate in the election.
2. The logic and accuracy testing must confirm that the electronic pollbooks for each election are set to the correct type of election being held in that jurisdiction. For example, the data on the electronic pollbook must correlate with whether the upcoming election is a primary (single or dual) or general election.
3. The logic and accuracy testing must show that all precincts will provide the correct ballot styles to voters in the precincts. The locality must provide certification to the Department of Elections that all EPBs being used in an election have been tested in compliance with this section.
If a locality repeatedly fails to perform logic and accuracy testing on their electronic pollbooks, then the Department of Elections and State Board of Elections may disallow the locality's use of electronic pollbooks in subsequent elections.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 6, eff. October 26, 2020.
1VAC20-60-80. Request for a risk-limiting audit for a contested race within a jurisdiction.
A. For purposes of this section, "contested race" means a contested race wholly contained within the jurisdiction of the county or city for which an electoral board requesting a risk-limiting audit serves.
B. Pursuant to § 24.2-671.2 D of the Code of Virginia, a local electoral board shall follow the process in this subsection to request a risk-limiting audit of a contested race within its jurisdiction:
1. At the public canvass meeting following the election, an electoral board may elect to request a risk-limiting audit of a contested race or multiple contested races by a majority vote.
2. If a question to request a risk-limiting audit achieves a majority vote, an electoral board must submit a completed SBE 671.2(D) Request for Risk-Limiting Audit Form to request State Board of Elections (SBE) approval of the audit. If requesting audits of multiple contested races, an electoral board must submit a completed SBE 671.2(D) Request for Risk-Limiting Audit Form for each race. If risk-limiting audits are requested for multiple contested races, the electoral board must request the same method of conducting the audit for each race.
3. The SBE will grant a request for a risk-limiting audit of a contested race if:
a. The submitted SBE 671.2(D) Request for Risk-Limiting Audit Form contains sufficient information for the SBE to determine that the local electoral board members cast a majority vote in favor of the audit request;
b. The submitted SBE-671.2(D) Request for Risk-Limiting Audit Form contains sufficient information for the SBE to determine the method of conducting the risk-limiting audit chosen by a majority vote of the electoral board, and, in the event that risk-limiting audits are requested for multiple contested races, the requested method of conducting the risk-limiting audit is the same for each race;
c. The submitted SBE 671.2(D) Request for Risk-Limiting Audit Form contains sufficient information for the SBE to determine which contested races are subject to the requested audit and that those contested races are in fact wholly contained within the jurisdiction of the city or county for which the local electoral board serves;
d. The SBE concludes that the audit is permissible under § 24.2-671.2 of the Code of Virginia and all other relevant provisions of law; and
e. The margin of the candidate with the most votes and the second most votes is equal to or greater than 1.0%.
4. Upon granting an electoral board's request for a risk-limiting audit, the SBE may grant an extension not to exceed two weeks of the local electoral board's certification deadline pursuant to § 24.2-671 of the Code of Virginia if necessary for the conduct of the audit.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 39, Issue 5, eff. October 6, 2022; amended, Virginia Register Volume 39, Issue 17, eff. March 31, 2023.
1VAC20-60-90. Material omissions from officer removal petitions and petition signature qualifications.
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.
Statutory Authority
§ 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 39, Issue 26, eff. September 28, 2023.
Forms (1VAC20-60)
Commonwealth of Virginia Petition of Qualified Voters For Referendum, SBE-684.1(1) (rev. 5/2011)
Request for a Risk-Limiting Audit, SBE 671.2(D) (rev. 8/2022)
ELECT 233 Petition for the Removal of an Officer (rev. 5/2023)