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2014 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
Subcommittee Campaigns and Elections

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

Clerk: Maribeth Turner
Staff: M. Spain, D. Cotter, J. Austin
Date of Meeting: January 15, 2014
Time and Place: 10 AM, Senate Room A

S.B. 11 Absentee voting and procedures; secure return of voted military-overseas ballots.

Patron: Puller

Absentee voting and procedures; secure return of voted military-overseas ballots. Requires the State Board of Elections to provide instructions, procedures, and services to enable uniformed-service voters outside of the United States to return voted military-overseas ballots securely by electronic mail or fax. The bill requires the State Board to develop and annually update security measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of such votes and requires the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth to approve the measures. The State Board is directed to convene a working group for the initial development of the security measures. Additionally, the State Board is directed to work with the U.S. Department of Defense to use smart cards issued to active-duty military personnel to authenticate and enable the return of such military-overseas ballots. The bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science.

S.B. 181 Absentee voting and procedures; secure return of voted military-overseas ballots.

Patron: McWaters

Absentee voting and procedures; secure return of voted military-overseas ballots. Requires the State Board of Elections to provide instructions, procedures, and services to enable uniformed-service voters outside of the United States to return voted military-overseas ballots securely by electronic mail or fax. The bill requires the State Board to develop and annually update security measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of such votes and requires the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth to approve the measures. The State Board is directed to convene a working group for the initial development of the security measures. Additionally, the State Board is directed to work with the U.S. Department of Defense to use smart cards issued to active-duty military personnel to authenticate and enable the return of such military-overseas ballots. The bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science.

S.B. 191 Voter registration; duties of State Board of Elections.

Patron: Edwards

Voter registration; duties of the State Board of Elections. Modifies the provision calling for the State Board to cross-check voter registration lists with other states by (i) limiting the cross-checking to lists of active (rather than active and inactive) voters, (ii) requiring corroboration that the voter is no longer a resident and a mailed notice before the general registrar cancels his registration based on lists developed by such cross-checking, (iii) requiring the State Board to send lists of such voters to the general registrars only between January 1 and March 1, and (iv) giving the general registrar 90 days following his receipt of the list from the State Board to process the list.

S.B. 247 Elections; voter registration lists; interstate cross-checking programs.

Patron: McEachin

Elections; voter registration lists; interstate cross-checking programs. Prohibits the cancellation of the registration of an active voter identified on the basis of interstate cross-check lists as registered in another state without corroboration that he has moved from Virginia. Voters identified as having moved will be given notice before the voter's registration is canceled. The bill also provides a timetable for the general registrars to process names of such voters.

S.B. 319 Elections; primary elections; date of June primary elections.

Patron: Vogel

Elections; primary elections; date of June primary elections. Changes the date of primary elections held in the month of June from the second Tuesday in June to the third Tuesday in June and changes candidate filing deadlines to reflect that change of date.

S.B. 456 Elections; voting equipment.

Patron: Obenshain

Elections; voting equipment. Makes technical amendments to reflect updates in voting equipment technology. The bill also authorizes the State Board to conduct audits of ballot scanner machines; currently, these audits are conducted as part of a pilot program. Two outdated sections regarding mechanical voting devices and ballots generally were repealed.

S.B. 474 Elections; method of nominating party candidates.

Patron: Smith

Elections; method of nominating party candidates. Removes the power of incumbent officeholders in some cases to insist on a primary as the method of nominating political party candidates and removes the power of General Assembly incumbents seeking reelection to determine the method of nomination. The bill leaves the power to determine the method of nominating party candidates to the duly constituted authorities of the political party.

S.B. 507 Party nomination methods.

Patron: Wagner

Party nomination methods. Provides that no political party shall determine its candidates for statewide or General Assembly district office by a method that has the practical effect of excluding participation by active duty personnel and military reservists or by individuals unable to attend meetings because of military service-related injuries, regardless of duty station or location.

S.B. 558 Officers of election.

Patron: Black

Officers of election. Provides that a local electoral board may appoint a person 16 or 17 years of age as an officer of election, provided such person is a citizen of the United States, a resident of the Commonwealth, and, to the extent practicable, a resident of the precinct he is appointed to serve. The bill provides that persons so appointed shall not serve as chief or assistant chief officer or be appointed in such number as to constitute the majority of the officers in any precinct.