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1994 SESSION


CHAPTER 149
An Act to amend and reenact § 24.2-543 of the Code of Virginia, relating to nominations for presidential elections by third parties and independent groups.
[H 65]
Approved April 1, 1994

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 24.2-543 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 24.2-543. How other groups may submit names of electors.

A group of qualified voters, not constituting a political party as defined in § 24.2-101, may have the names of electors selected by them, including one elector residing in each congressional district and two from the Commonwealth at large, printed upon the official ballot to be used in the election of electors for President and Vice-President by filing a petition pursuant to this section. The petition shall be filed with the State Board by noon of the seventy-fourth day before the presidential election. The petition shall be signed by qualified voters equal in number to at least one-half of one percent of the number of voters registered in the Commonwealth as of January 1 of the year of the presidential election and include signatures of at least 200 qualified voters from each congressional district. The petition shall be signed by petitioners on and after January 1 of the year of the presidential election only and contain the residence address of each petitioner. The signature of each petitioner shall be witnessed by a qualified voter who is a resident of the same or a contiguous congressional district as the voter whose signature is witnessed, and whose affidavit to that effect is attached to appears on each page of the petition. The petition shall state the names of the electors selected by the petitioners, the party name under which they desire the named electors to be listed on the ballot, and the names of the candidates for President and Vice-President for whom the electors are expected to vote in the Electoral College. In order to utilize a selected party name on the ballot, the petitioners shall have had a state central committee composed of registered voters from each congressional district of the Commonwealth, a party plan and bylaws, and a duly designated chairman and secretary in existence and holding office for at least six months prior to filing the petition. The State Board may require proof that the petitioners meet these requirements before permitting use of a party name on the ballot. The party name shall not be identical with or substantially similar to the name of any political party qualifying under § 24.2-101 and then in existence.

In the event of the death or withdrawal of a candidate for President or Vice-President so qualified to appear on the ballot by party name, that party may substitute the name of a different candidate before the State Board certifies to the county and city electoral boards the form of the official ballots.

In the event that a group of qualified voters meets the requirements set forth in this section except that they cannot utilize a party name, the electors selected and the candidates for President and Vice-President shall be identified and designated as "Independent" on the ballot. Substitution of a different candidate for Vice-President may be made by the candidate for President before the State Board certifies to the county and city electoral boards the form of the official ballot.