SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2007 SESSION

  • print version
Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
Subcommittee Campaigns and Election

O'Brien (Chairman), Puckett, Deeds, Obenshain, Devolites Davis

Clerk: Karen R. West, Charles Shotton
Staff: M Spain, M Brissette, J Austin
Date of Meeting: January 15, 2007
Time and Place: 1/2 hour after session - 3 West Conference Room

S.B. 840 Election procedures; voting equipment requirements.

Patron: Devolites Davis

Election procedures; voting equipment requirements; random postelection audits of equipment; and recounts.  Requires localities to use optical scan tabulator systems. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to develop accommodations for disabled voters and limits the use of direct recording electronic (DRE) devices to marking ballots that can be optically scanned. The bill prohibits any form of wireless electronic communication capability on any voting or counting device. The bill requires State Board of Elections to develop procedures to enable local electoral boards to conduct postelection audits of at least two percent of machines in jurisdictions with 50,000 or more registered voters and at least five percent of machines in jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 registered voters. The bill requires the random selection for auditing of a representative sample of vote counting machines within 48 hours of public announcement of initial vote counts and prohibits certifying results until audits are completed. The bill provides that paper records control in the event of a significant discrepancy, defined as a difference of more than one-tenth of one percent between the hand counted total and the initial machine tally. The bill requires local electoral boards to publicly announce comparative results. The bill requires recount officials as part of the recount proceedings to randomly audit three percent of voting devices using State Board of Elections standards for hand recounts. A discrepancy exceeding one-tenth of one percent requires extending the audit to all precincts. The bill deletes obsolete references to mechanical voting equipment and punchcard devices and takes effect January 1, 2009.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-626 and 24.2-802 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 24.2-625.2 and 24.2-671.1, relating to voting equipment and the required use of optical scan tabulators; a ban on wireless communications on voting equipment; postelection equipment audits; and recount procedures. 

075559726

S.B. 878 Elections; recount procedures.

Patron: Deeds

Elections; recount procedures.  Requires hard copy optical scan ballots to be rerun through appropriately programmed tabulators in recount proceedings. Present law provides that the tabulator printout will be sufficient unless it is unclear or the court orders the ballots to be rerun.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-802 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; recount procedures.

075528724

S.B. 920 Elections; absentee voting.

Patron: Howell

Elections; absentee voting.  Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee in person without providing an excuse or reason for not being able to vote in person on election day. The bill retains the present statutory list of specific reasons entitling a voter to cast an absentee ballot for those persons who vote absentee by mail.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-700 and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting; persons eligible to vote absentee; and applications for absentee ballots.

078234744

S.B. 940 Elections; voter registration lists and applications; victims of domestic violence.

Patron: Ticer

Elections; voter registration lists and applications; victims of domestic violence. Provides that victims of domestic violence may provide a post office box address, in lieu of a residence address, to be shown on any public list of registered voters. The bill takes effect January 1, 2008.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-405, 24.2-406, and 24.2-418 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; voter registration lists and applications; victims of domestic violence.

071537828

S.B. 986 Elections; absentee voting. 

Patron: Deeds

Elections; absentee voting. Extends to persons with any disability or illness the ability to obtain an absentee ballot.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-700, 24.2-701, 24.2-703.1, 24.2-703.2, 24.2-704, 24.2-705, and 24.2-705.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voters eligible to vote absentee.

075560129