Virginia Administrative Code
Title 1 - ADMINISTRATION
Agency 20 - STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS

AGENCY SUMMARY

The State Board of Elections is authorized to supervise, coordinate, and adopt regulations governing the work of local electoral boards, registrars, and officers of election; to establish and maintain a statewide automated voter registration system to include procedures for ascertaining current addresses of registrants; to prescribe standard forms for registration, transfer and identification of voters; and to require cancellation of records for registrants no longer qualified. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapters 1 and 4.

The board prescribes standard forms for use in absentee voting and at elections. It is authorized to approve kinds or types of voting equipment and ballots that may be used; to establish procedures governing conduct of elections; to certify candidates; to determine (by lot) the order of political parties, party groups, and independents on the ballot; and to verify the accuracy of ballots printed by localities. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapters 3, 6 and 7.

Candidates for statewide, legislative and shared constitutional offices must file statements of qualification for office with the board. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapter 5. Candidates for statewide offices in a party primary and candidates for statewide and federal offices in a general election who are independents or who represent groups other than a qualified political party must also file with the board declarations of candidacy and other qualifying papers. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapter 5. The board is required to disqualify any candidate who fails to file these documents by the required deadline or who fails to file a statement of financial interests with the appropriate authority by the required deadline. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapter 5 and Title 2.2, Chapter 31.

The board administers a centralized electronic system for receiving reports of campaign contributions and expenditures. All candidates have the option to file electronically and electronic filing with the board is mandatory for candidates for statewide office, political parties, and political action committees. The board cannot issue a certificate of election to any successful candidate until these required pre-election reports and the first post-election report have been filed. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapter 9.3.

The board publishes information bulletins on the filing and campaign finance requirements for each office that are updated annually and available on its website.

The board tabulates and certifies results of elections for federal and state offices and for constitutional offices shared by a county and one or more cities and, in tied elections for these offices, determines by lot the candidate to be declared elected. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapter 6.

Circuit courts are required to consult with the board in the conduct of any recount for federal, state or shared constitutional offices. Code of Virginia, Title 24.2, Chapter 8.

The board operates under the supervision of the Secretary of Administration. Regulations and guidance documents are available for public inspection electronically through the board's Internet address: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ or calling 1-800-552-9745 TTY 800-260-3466. The board's office is located at the Washington Building, 1100 Bank St., Richmond, VA 23219. Internet address: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/

Rev. 7/2012