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2021 SPECIAL SESSION II

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21300172D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 762 Offered August 3, 2021 Commending Deloris Overton Short. ---------- Patron-- Heretick ----------

WHEREAS, Deloris Overton Short, esteemed general registrar and director of elections of the City of Portsmouth, retired in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Deloris Overton Short acquired a sense of civic duty from her parents, John and Lucy Overton, and was among the first 18-year-olds to register to vote when the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1971; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth and Norfolk State University, Deloris Overton Short was active in politics in her youth, supporting various voter registration efforts, and later worked for several years in the banking industry and with IBM; and

WHEREAS, on July 6, 1993, Deloris Overton Short became the general registrar and director of elections of the City of Portsmouth, making history as the first African American general registrar in the south Hampton Roads Region; and

WHEREAS, during her tenure as general registrar and director of elections, Deloris Overton Short enhanced the voter registration process by both bolstering security and improving accessibility, guaranteeing the integrity of Portsmouth’s elections and the right of its citizens to vote; and

WHEREAS, Deloris Overton Short oversaw several technology upgrades to voting machines that heightened Portsmouth’s ability to carry out its elections both securely and expediently, while relocating the registrar’s office to a more convenient and visible location for the benefit of the community; and

WHEREAS, since taking the helm of the Portsmouth general registrar’s office, Deloris Overton Short has seen voter registration increase by more than 50 percent, despite the locality’s declining population; and

WHEREAS, in addition to her service with the City of Portsmouth, Deloris Overton Short has supported her community through leadership roles with various local civic organizations and as a member of the Portsmouth branch of the NAACP and the Portsmouth chapter of Links, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Deloris Overton Short has received numerous accolades as a testament to her illustrious career, including the 1996 President’s Award from the NAACP, the 1997 Liberty Bell Award from the Portsmouth Bar Association, and the 2006 Meritorious Service Award from the I.C. Norcom High School Alumni Association; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Deloris Overton Short, general registrar and director of elections of the City of Portsmouth, hereby be commended on the occasion of her retirement; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Deloris Overton Short as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for her contributions to the Commonwealth.