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SB902

Primary elections; voter registration by political party.

Status:
Killed

Chief Patron:
Mark Obenshain (R)

Session:
2017 Regular Session

Summary

As Introduced. Primary elections; voter registration by political party.

Adds party affiliation to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when registering to vote. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. The bill requires the State Board of Elections (State Board), in September 2017, to notify all registered voters of the new party registration law and send them a return card to indicate their party affiliation or independent status. Any voter who does not state a party affiliation shall be designated as independent in the registration records. Voters may change their party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time before the registration records are closed in advance of an election. The bill (i) requires the state party chairman to notify the State Board by January 31 of each year whether the party will close or open its primaries, (ii) requires that primary candidate petitions be signed and witnessed by voters registered as affiliated with the party conducting the primary, (iii) sets the required number of petition signatures at one percent of the number of voters registered as affiliated with the party in the election district where the primary is being held, and (iv) allows an official political party to retain that status as long as at least 15 percent of the Commonwealth's registered voters are registered as affiliated with that party. The provisions of the bill are applicable to primaries conducted after January 1, 2018. (Less)

  • Bill History

  • 12/22/2016 - Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100909D
  • 12/22/2016 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
  • 01/30/2017 - Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB902)
  • 02/08/2017 - Senate: Left in Privileges and Elections

Full text and vote history:

Virginia Legislative Information System

RichmondSunlight.com

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