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More on the State Board of Elections
Major
activities of the State Board of Elections include:
Voter Registration Services
- The State Board of Elections establishes and implements
policies and procedures used to properly register voters and maintain voter
registration records. In meeting its legal responsibilities of ensuring
uniformity, fairness, and legality of the registration processes, the board
operates and administers a computerized central record-keeping system (the
Virginia Voter Registration System) of all voters registered in the
Commonwealth. The Board itself does not register voters but supervises and
coordinates the work of local election officials, who carry out registration
activities in their jurisdiction.
- The Virginia Voter Registration System maintains a
complete, separate, and accurate record of all registered voters in the
Commonwealth. The system is accessible to all local registrars and their staff
who are required to change or correct registration records. In addition to
maintaining individual registration records, the Virginia Voter Registration
System generates voter information cards. The voter information cards are used
to confirm registration for new registrants and to notify current registrants of
changes or corrections to their record.
- Prior to each general, primary or special election, the
board provides each registrar with a computer generated list of all registered
voters in their jurisdiction, and an alphabetical list of all registered voters
in each precinct of the county, city, or town. The precinct list is the official
list of qualified voters. The law requires the State Board of Elections to
compile and distribute registration reports and statistics for the entire state.
These reports and statistics are provided, at a reasonable cost, to legally
qualified purchasers including candidates, incumbents, political parties,
courts, and non-profit organizations that promote voter registration or
participation.
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Election Administration Services
- This activity promotes and ensures uniformity in
procedures and proceedings, and legality and purity in the election processes
through supervising and coordinating the work of the county and city electoral
boards and registrars. Through this activity, the board establishes regulations
and issues instructions and other information to the local electoral boards and
registrars to promote the proper execution of election laws.
- In its efforts to foster and maintain uniformity,
accuracy and legality in election related proceedings, this activity performs
the following essential functions:
- Instructs local electoral board members and general
registrars in the proper administration of election laws; prepares and
distributes administrative guidelines and procedural manuals for their use.
- Produces and distributes instructions and forms to
individuals who wish to qualify as candidates for any office in Virginia.
- Qualifies or disqualifies candidates for nomination or
election to federal, statewide, General Assembly and shared constitutional
offices based on verification of petitions and other required filings; verifies
completeness of filings for certified candidates for local offices; processes
political party certifications of nominating methods and nominees.
- Reviews all paper and machine ballot combinations in
the state for legal compliance.
- Conducts a precinct by precinct review and
verification of the results of all elections for nomination or election to
offices certified by the board and of the results of all statewide referenda;
resolves precinct or locality errors in the returns; certifies results.
- Conducts voting equipment reviews and tests for the
purpose of certifying equipment eligible for use in the state; reviews, and
approves or not, all prospective purchases of new or additional voting equipment
by local jurisdictions.
- Publishes and distributes the following public
information: official lists of candidates and winners for every election in the
state; sample ballots for statewide elections or referenda; the official
election results, by precinct and locality, for the November general elections
and any statewide primary elections; election schedules and calendars; legal
requirements for referendum elections; brochures, posters and legal notices
containing the ballot question and approved explanation for any proposed
constitutional amendments and legal notices containing the ballot question and
project listings for any proposed statewide bond referenda.
- Monitors local compliance with federal and state
polling place accessibility requirements; reports biennially to the federal
government on the accessibility or inaccessibility of polling places in the
state.
- Provides copies of candidate forms and petitions filed
with the Board for inspection or purchase by any legally qualified individual.
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Aid to Localities
- This activity is primarily responsible for reimbursing
local governments for the compensation paid to local registrars and the
compensation and mileage paid to local electoral board members. The State Board
of Elections annually calculates and sets the days of service for 134 general
registrars. Compensation for the general registrars is set by the General
Assembly in the Appropriations Act based on local population. Compensation for
the Electoral Board members is set based on local population and the number of
towns (if any) in the locality as set forth in the Appropriations Act.
- In addition, assistance is provided to the localities in
the form of data circuits provided by and paid for the State Board of Elections.
These circuits connects the registrar's office to the centralized voter
registration system.
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Election Staff & Official Training
- In carrying out its responsibilities of ensuring
uniformity and legality in election practices, the Board conducts annual
training seminars for electoral board members and general registrars.
- The seminars are instructional sessions that last
approximately two days. The seminars are used as a tool to ensure that election
officials fully understand the legal requirements of the election laws. It is
also the platform used to train and familiarize new registrars in current
election proceedings and registration practices. Anticipated changes in policies
and procedures are normally introduced during these sessions.
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Administration of Campaign Finance
Disclosure Laws
- The State Board of Elections administers the Campaign
Finance Disclosure Act. The Campaign Finance Disclosure Act requires the State
Board of Elections to review campaign finance disclosure reports for
completeness and compliance with filing deadlines.
- This activity summarizes the provisions of the election
laws relating to campaign contributions and expenditures and distributes this
summary along with prescribed forms to each candidate, person, or committee on
request or upon their first filing with the Board. To assist persons filing
reports, these summaries include instructions, forms, filing schedules, and
reporting requirements required to comply with the Act .
- The Campaign Finance Disclosure reports are filed and
maintained for at least one year after the final report is filed, or through the
next general election. In addition, these reports are made available for
inspection by any person requesting them.
- The Board has the authority to fine any person(s) who
willfully violate the Act.
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Chairman: Jean Cunningham
Vice-Chair: Harold Pyon
Secretary: Nancy Rodriques
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