GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 1455. Senate Bill 1455 would increase the membership of the Board of Elections (Board) from three to five members and gives the Board, rather than the Governor, the power to appoint the Commissioner of Elections.

This legislation creates a structure that sets up the Board and the Department of Elections for potential challenges. This legislation seeks to adopt a board structure similar to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), an entity faced with dysfunction in recent years. The FEC appointees’ inability to come to a consensus has meant failure to fill key leadership positions. This legislation would also hinder the Governor’s ability to appoint the leadership of an executive branch agency by requiring that four out of five Board members agree on a Commissioner of Elections. This could lead to delays or a lack of appointment all together. In a state that has an election every few months, it is imperative that Virginia’s electoral system have steady leadership.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.

GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION

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2.2-106,

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, [the comma]

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2.2-106,

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, which shall begin on February 1 of the year of the appointment

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Board

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Governor

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by the Board

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Governor

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Governor

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Governor

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one member, representing the political party of the Governor, shall be appointed for a term to expire January 31, 2021; one member, representing the political party that had the next highest number of votes in the Commonwealth for Governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election, shall be appointed for a term to expire January 31, 2022; one member, representing the political party of the Governor, shall be appointed for a term to expire January 31, 2023; one member, representing the political party that had the next highest number of votes in the Commonwealth for Governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election, shall be appointed for a term to expire January 31, 2024; and one member, representing the political party of the Governor, shall be appointed for a term to expire January 31, 2025

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