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2001 SESSION


CHAPTER 53
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 10.1-523, 10.1-525, 24.2-506, and 24.2-680 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 10.1-518.1, relating to the election of directors of soil and water conservation districts.
[H 2076]
Approved March 2, 2001

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 10.1-523, 10.1-525, 24.2-506, and 24.2-680 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 10.1-518.1 as follows:

§ 10.1-518.1. Secretary to send copies of certificates to State Board of Elections.

Whenever the Secretary issues a certificate creating, dissolving, or changing the name or composition of a district, the Secretary shall promptly send a certified copy of such certificate to the State Board of Elections.

§ 10.1-523. Nominating petitions; notice of election for district directors.

A. Within Beginning thirty days after the date of issuance by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of a certificate of organization of a district, but not later than a date set by the Board the filing date specified in § 24.2-507, nominating petitions may, statements of qualifications, and declarations of candidacy shall be filed with the Board general registrar of the county or city where the candidate resides, pursuant to §§ 24.2-501, 24.2-503, 24.2-505, 24.2-506, and 24.2-507, to nominate candidates for elected directors of such districts. Nominating petitions, statements of qualifications, and declarations of candidacy for elected directors of existing districts shall be filed with the Board no later than a date set by the Board general registrar of the county or city where the candidate resides, pursuant to §§ 24.2-501, 24.2-503, 24.2-505, 24.2-506, and 24.2-507. Notice of the date for filing such petitions and the time of the election shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the district at least thirty days before the filing date. The Board may extend the time during which nominating petitions may be filed.

B. A nominating petition shall not be accepted by the Board, unless it is subscribed by twenty-five or more registered voters residing within the boundaries of the district.

C. Registered voters may sign more than one nominating petition to nominate more than one candidate for district director.

D. C. The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board shall fix the time and give due notice of an election to be held for the election of district directors.

§ 10.1-525. Canvassing returns.

If the district embraces more than one county or city, either in whole or in part, The result of the election shall be canvassed and certified by the State Board of Elections electoral board for the county or city in which the candidate resides pursuant to §§ 24.2-671 through 24.2-678. If the election is held at any other time than that fixed for the general election in November, the canvass shall be made as in the case of a special election to fill a vacancy. The State Board of Elections shall, promptly after the meeting required by § 24.2-679, certify to the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation a list of the candidates elected and certified as Directors of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, as reported pursuant to § 24.2-675.

§ 24.2-506. Petition of qualified voters required; number of signatures required; certain towns excepted.

The name of any candidate for any office, other than a party nominee, shall not be printed upon any official ballots provided for the election unless he shall file along with his declaration of candidacy a petition therefor, on a form prescribed by the State Board, signed by the number of qualified voters specified below after January 1 of the year in which the election is held and listing the residence address of each such voter. Each signature on the petition shall have been witnessed by a person who is himself a qualified voter, or qualified to register to vote, for the office for which he is circulating the petition and, in the case of a statewide office, is a resident of the same or a contiguous congressional district as the voter whose signature is witnessed, and whose affidavit to that effect appears on each page of the petition.

Each voter signing the petition shall provide on the petition his social security number, if any; however, noncompliance with this requirement shall not be cause to invalidate the voter's signature on the petition.

The minimum number of signatures of qualified voters required for candidate petitions shall be as follows:

1. For a candidate for the United States Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General, 10,000 signatures, including the signatures of at least 400 qualified voters from each congressional district in the Commonwealth;

2. For a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, 1,000 signatures;

3. For a candidate for the Senate of Virginia, 250 signatures;

4. For a candidate for the House of Delegates or for a constitutional office, 125 signatures;

5. For a candidate for membership on the governing body or elected school board of any county or city, 125 signatures; or if from an election district not at large containing 1,000 or fewer registered voters, 50 fifty signatures;

6. For a candidate for membership on the governing body or elected school board of any town which has more than 1,500 registered voters, 125 signatures; or if from a ward or other district not at large, 25 twenty-five signatures;

7. For membership on the governing body or elected school board of any town which has 1,500 or fewer registered voters, no petition shall be required;

8. For a candidate for director of a soil and water conservation district created pursuant to Article 3 (§ 10.1-506 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 10.1, twenty-five signatures; and

8. 9. For any other candidate, 50 fifty signatures.

§ 24.2-680. Certificates of election.

Subject to the requirements of § 24.2-922, the State Board shall without delay complete and transmit to each of the persons declared to be elected a certificate of his election, certified by it under its seal of office. In the election of a member of the United States Congress, it shall also forward a certificate of election to the clerk of the United States Senate or House of Representatives, as appropriate. The names of members elected to the General Assembly shall be certified by the State Board to the clerk of the House of Delegates or Senate, as appropriate. The names of the persons elected Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General shall be certified by the State Board to the clerks of the House of Delegates and Senate. The name of any officer shared by more than one county or city, or any combination thereof, shall be certified by the State Board to the clerk of the circuit court having jurisdiction in each affected county or city. The names of the persons elected to soil and water conservation districts shall be certified by the State Board to the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation.