HB 943 — Voter registration; protected voter status, elections officials.

SESSION ENROLLED VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY ––-- 2024 SESSION CHAPTER E309 An Act to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-106, 24.2-110, 24.2-112, 24.2-115, and 24.2-418 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter registration;

R O [H 943] Approved LApril L2, 2024 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

That §§ 24.2-106, 24.2-110, 24.2-112, 24.2-115, and 24.2-418 of the Code of Virginia are E amended and reenacted as follows:

D§ training.-106.24.2-106.

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The members shall be appointed by the chief judge of the judicialwho circuitsits forin the countyjudicial orcircuit. city or that judge's designee.

Such designee shall be any other judge who sits in the judicial circuit.

In the event of the temporary absence, or disability that precludes the performance of dutieH,duties, of one or more members that prevents attaining a quorum, the chief judge or his designee, for good cau9e,cause, may appointeeappoint, muston bea eligiblemeeting-to-meeting forbasis, appointmenta andtemporary member to the extentelectoral practicableboard. maintain representation of political parties under this section.

R The clerktemporary ofappointee themust circuitbe courteligible shallfor sendappointment and to the Stateextent Boardpracticable amaintain copyrepresentation of eachpolitical orderparties makingunder anthis appointmentsection. to an electoral board.

The clerk of the circuit court shall send to the State Board a copy of each order making an appointment to an electoral board.

When the Governor was not elected as the candidate of a political party, representation shall be given to each of the political parties having the highest and next highest number of members of the General Assembly at the time of the appointmentsappointment having the and two board members shall be of the political party having the highest number of members in the General Assembly.

The chief judge, or his designee, shall promptly make such appointment from the recommendations (i) after receipt of the political party's recommendation or (ii) after December 15 for a full term or after the 30-day period expires for a vacancy appointment,orappointment, (ii) whichever of the events described in clause (i) or (ii) first occurs.

Electoral board members shall serve three-year terms and be appointed to staggered terms, one term to expire at midnight on the last day of December each year, unless the results of an election have not been certified by the board or a recount of an election has not concluded, in which case the term shall expire at midnight on the day the results are certified or the recount is concluded.

Any such designation shaThe secretary of the electoral board shall immediatelybe notifymade the State Board of any change in thean membershipopen ormeeting officers of the electoral board and shallrecorded keepin the Boardminutes informed of the name,board. residence of 5 and mailing addresses, and home and business telephone numbers of each electoral board member.

The secretary of the electoral board shall immediately notify the State Board of any change in the membership or officers of the electoral board and shall keep the Board informed of the name, residence and mailing addresses, and home and business telephone numbers of each electoral board member.

No member of an electoral board shall be eligible to offer for or hold an office to be filled in of 4 whole or in part by qualified voters of his jurisdiction.

The general registrar shall of 5 establish the duties of deputy registrars, appoint deputy registrars, and have authority to remove any deputy registrar who fails to discharge the duties of his office.

E All deputy registrars shall have the same limitations and qualifications and fulfill the same requirements as the general registrar except that (i) a deputy registrar may be an officer of election and (ii) a deputy registrar shall be a qualified voter of the Commonwealth but is not required to bRbe a of 4 qualified voter of the county or city in which he serves as deputy registrar.

Candidates who are residents mutuallyin agreethe tocounty shareor acity deputyfor registrarwhich amongthey twoseek orappointment moremay localities.be given preference in hiring.

Localities may mutually agree to share a deputy registrar among two or more localities.

L All other employees shall be employed by the general registrar.

L C.

The compensation of any deputy registrar, other than those who agree to serve without payEpay, or any other employee of the general registrar shall be fixed and paid by the local governing body and shall be the equivalent of or exceed the minimum hourly wage established by federal law in 29 U.S.C.

The general registrar shall not appoint to the office of paid deputy registrar his spouse or any perE.person, or the spouse of any person, who is his parent, grandparent, sibling, child, or grandchild.

E.

H A.

Their4termsTheir terms of office shall begin on March 1 following their appointment and continue, at the discretion of thEthe electoral board, for a term not to exceed three years or until their successors are appointed.

havingNot moreless than 4,000three registeredcompetent voterscitizens shall havebe notappointed less than five officers of election serving for aeach presidentialprecinct. election, and the electoral board shall appoint additional officers as needed to satisfy this requirement.

However, a precinct having more than 4,000 registered voters shall have not less than five officers of election serving for a presidential election, and the electoral board shall appoint additional officers as needed to satisfy this requirement.

If practicable, officers shall be appointed from lists of nominations filed by the political parties entitled to daysappointments. before February 1 each year.

The electoralparty boardshall mayfile appointits additionalnominations citizenswith whothe dosecretary notleastof 10the representelectoral anyboard politicalat partyleast to10 servedays asbefore officers.February 1 each year.

The electoral board may appoint additional citizens who do not represent any political party to serve as officers.

The electoral board shall ensure that one officer is designated as the chief officer of election and precinct,one wheneverofficer practicable,is shalldesignated not represent the same political party as the chiefassistant officer for theeach a precinct.

The officer designated as the assistant for a precinct, whenever practicable, shall not represent the same political party as the chief officer for the precinct.

The electoral board shall ensure that each chief officer and assistant is instructed in his duties not less than three nor more than 30 days before each election.

Each officer of election may be instructed in his duties at an appropriate time or times before each November general election, and training of the of 5 officers of election shall be conducted as provided by § 24.2-115.2.

If practicable, substitute officers or additional officers appointed after the electoral board's regular meeting in the first week of February shall be appointed from lists of nominations filed by the political of 4 parties entitled to appointments.

of2. 5 registered who is later (i) appointed to serve as a local electoral board member, a general or deputy registrar, or an officer of election or (ii) employed in an office of a general registrar may provide a post office box address to receive protected voter status.

NThat Rthe ODepartment Lof LElections Eshall Dprovide Hthe Rmeans by which a person previously registered who is later (i) appointed to serve as a local electoral board member, a general or deputy registrar, or an officer of election or (ii) employed in an office of a general registrar may provide a post office box address to receive protected voter status.