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2012 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
Subcommittee Campaigns and Elections

Vogel (Chairman), Howell, Martin, Edwards, Petersen, Carrico, Garrett

Clerk: Hobie Lehman, Bonnie Shelhorse
Staff: M. Spain, D. Cotter, J. Austin
Date of Meeting: January 25, 2012
Time and Place: 10:00 a.m/Senate Room A

S.B. 1

Patron: Martin

Voter identification requirements; provisional ballots.  Eliminates the provision that allows a voter to sign a sworn statement that he is the named registered voter he claims to be in lieu of showing identification and provides instead for the voter to cast a provisional ballot if he cannot provide a required form of identification. The bill also provides that, in order to determine whether a person who cast a provisional ballot is a qualified voter, an electoral board may rely on a faxed copy of a person's identification. The bill also removes a Commonwealth of Virginia voter registration card from the list of forms of identification that a voter can present to demonstrate that he is a qualified voter.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-643, 24.2-651.1, 24.2-653, and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; voting procedures; voter identification requirements.

12100190D

S.B. 55

Patron: Obenshain

Elections; voter identification requirements; absentee voting eligibility and procedures.  Revises the list of items that a voter may show to prove identification at the polls. The bill adds to the list several items now allowed to prove the identity of first-time voters for federal elections who registered by mail: a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck that shows the name and address of the voter. The bill deletes the provision that allows a voter to sign a sworn statement that he is the named registered voter he claims to be in lieu of showing identification and provides instead for the voter to cast a provisional ballot if he cannot provide a required form of identification.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-643, 24.2-651.1, 24.2-653, and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter identification requirements; persons eligible to vote absentee; applications for absentee ballots.

12100289D

S.B. 63

Patron: Stanley

Elections; solicitation of absentee ballot applications or ballots.  Makes it unlawful for anyone to solicit, in person, absentee ballot applications or ballots from individuals in any hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility. The prohibition does not apply to family members or to general or assistant registrars, electoral board members, or their staffs. A violation of the section is a Class 1 misdemeanor under § 24.2-1017.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 24.2-701.1, relating to solicitation of absentee ballot applications and ballots in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

12101355D

S.B. 188

Patron: Miller, J.C.

Absentee voting; application by electronic mail or other electronic means. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall implement a system to accept absentee ballot applications electronically. Currently, an applicant may request and receive, but not submit, an absentee ballot application electronically.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; absentee ballot applications.

12101645D

S.B. 281

Patron: Smith

Elections; persons entitled to place on ballot; compliance with campaign finance disclosure provisions. Provides that a candidate will not be entitled to have his name printed on the ballot unless he has filed all required campaign finance reports and satisfied all civil and criminal penalties imposed under the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-504 and 24.2-948.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; persons entitled to place on ballot; compliance with campaign finance disclosure provisions.

12102682D

S.B. 465

Patron: Northam

Appointment, compensation, and offices of general registrars. Provides that all general registrars shall serve on a full-time basis. The bill takes effect on enactment of an appropriation to effectuate its purposes.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-110, 24.2-111, and 24.2-411 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; appointment, compensation, and offices of general registrars.

12103290D

S.B. 510

Patron: Wagner

Elections and ballots. Allows write-in votes in primary elections. This bill has an emergency clause.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-529 and 24.2-644 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections and primary ballots.

12103860D

EMERGENCY

S.B. 536

Patron: Martin

Absentee voting; unused, lost, and defaced ballots.  Requires persons who appear at their polling place or the central absentee voter precinct on election day and who have returned an unused or spoiled absentee ballot to cast a provisional ballot, rather than an official ballot, at the polling place or precinct.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-708 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting; returned unvoted absentee ballots; defaced ballots.

12103124D

S.B. 537

Patron: Martin

Conduct of elections; observers.  Requires observers to respect the area around voters and secrecy of the ballot.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-604 of the Code of Virginia, relating to conduct of elections; prohibited activities at polls; observers.

12103125D

S.B. 538

Patron: Martin

Presidential primary; uncommitted option.  Allows a voter in a presidential primary to vote "uncommitted" where such vote indicates that the voter has no preference among the candidates on the ballot and does not want to commit delegates to vote for any particular candidate at the party's national convention.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-545 of the Code of Virginia, relating to presidential primary; uncommitted option.

12103240D

S.B. 565

Patron: Martin

Elections; military and overseas voters.  Improves registration and absentee voting procedures for military and overseas voters; includes authorization for pilot programs for secure electronic ballot delivery and other reforms.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-101, 24.2-419, 24.2-444, 24.2-612, 24.2-700, 24.2-701, 24.2-702.1, 24.2-703, 24.2-706, 24.2-709, and 24.2-713 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 24.2-419.1, 24.2-419.2, 24.2-701.1, and 24.2-701.2; and to repeal Articles 7 (§§ 24.2-440 through 24.2-443) and 7.1 (§§ 24.2-443.1 through 24.2-443.4) of Chapter 4 of Title 24.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voting by military and overseas citizens.

12103623D

S.B. 566

Patron: Martin

Elections, administrative matters, and duties of the electoral board and general registrar. Provides for certain administrative efficiencies: permits general registrar to administer oath to voting equipment custodians; clarifies method to give notice of change in location of general registrar's office; modernizes procedures to give public notice of registration times and primaries; and permits absentee ballot envelopes to be opened before election day so long as the ballots are placed in a secure ballot container and no count is initiated.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-120, 24.2-306, 24.2-415, 24.2-517, and 24.2-709.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to administration of elections and duties of the electoral board and general registrar.

12103716D