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Virginia > Title 24.2 Elections > Voter Registration Article 2: Virginia Voter Registration System

§ 24.2-406 Lists of persons voting at elections

Statute

A. The Department of Elections shall furnish, at a reasonable price, lists of persons who voted at any primary, special, or general election held in the four preceding years to (i) candidates for election or political party nomination to further their candidacy, (ii) political party committees or officials thereof for political purposes only, (iii) political action committees that have filed a current statement of organization with the Department of Elections pursuant to § 24.2-949.2 or with the Federal Elections Commission pursuant to federal law, for political purposes only, (iv) incumbent officeholders to report to their constituents, and (v) members of the public or a nonprofit organization seeking to promote voter participation and registration by means of a communication or mailing without intimidation or pressure exerted on the recipient, for that purpose only. Such lists shall be furnished to no one else and shall be used only for campaign and political purposes and for reporting to constituents. Unless such lists are not available due to a pending recount or election contest, the general registrar shall submit the list of persons who voted to the Department of Elections within 14 days after each election. The general registrars of localities using nonelectronic pollbooks shall submit the list of persons who voted to the Department of Elections within seven days after the pollbooks are released from the possession of the clerk of court. The Department of Elections shall make available such lists no later than seven days after receiving them from the general registrar.

B. The Department of Elections shall furnish to the Chief Election Officer of another state, on request and at a reasonable price, lists of persons who voted at any primary, special, or general election held for the four preceding years. Such lists shall be used only for the purpose of maintenance of voter registration systems and shall be transmitted in accordance with security policies approved by the State Board of Elections.

C. In no event shall any list furnished under this section contain the social security number, or any part thereof, of any registered voter, except for a list furnished to the Chief Election Officer of another state permitted to use social security numbers, or any parts thereof, that provides for the use of such numbers on applications for voter registration in accordance with federal law, for maintenance of voter registration systems.

D. Any list furnished under this section shall contain the post office box address in lieu of the residence street address for any individual who has furnished at the time of registration or subsequently, in addition to his street address, a post office box address pursuant to subsection B of § 24.2-418.

1970, c. 462, § 24.1-23; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 119; 1972, c. 620; 1973, c. 30; 1974, cc. 369, 428; 1975, c. 515; 1976, c. 616; 1978, c. 778; 1983, c. 348; 1993, cc. 144, 641; 1994, c. 250; 1995, c. 314; 1996, c. 251; 2001, cc. 612, 626; 2003, c. 1015; 2004, cc. 184, 410; 2007, c. 318; 2009, c. 318; 2012, c. 664; 2013, c. 446; 2015, c. 712; 2016, cc. 18492.

Annotation: 03/07/2016 9:00 pm

The City of Richmond Circuit Court held this statute unconsitutional as applied to a group seeking voter history resulting in legislative amendment to the current language. Know Campaign v. Rodrigues, CL10003425-00 (12/21/2010). The Department of Elections provides a form to persons seeking to purchase lists detailing required information.

Annotation: 02/28/2016 9:47 pm

SBE Policy 2009-003 details the contents of lists providing voter history, available at http://elections.virginia.gov/Files/ElectionAdministration/BoardPolicies/2009-003_Voter_History_Include_Absentee.pdf

Definition [Department]

The state agency headed by the Commissioner of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [State Board]

The State Board of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Political party]

An organization of citizens of the Commonwealth which, at either of the two preceding statewide general elections, received at least 10 percent of the total vote cast for any statewide office filled in that election. The organization shall have a state central committee and an office of elected state chairman which have been continually in existence for the six months preceding the filing of a nominee for any office.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [General election]

An election held in the Commonwealth on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November or on the first Tuesday in May for the purpose of filling offices regularly scheduled by law to be filled at those times.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Registered voter]

Any person who is maintained on the Virginia voter registration system. All registered voters shall be maintained on the Virginia voter registration system with active status unless assigned to inactive status by a general registrar in accordance with Chapter 4 (§ 24.2-400 et seq.). For purposes of applying the precinct size requirements of § 24.2-307, calculating election machine requirements pursuant to Article 3 (§ 24.2-625 et seq.) of Chapter 6, mailing notices of local election district, precinct or polling place changes as required by subdivision 13 of § 24.2-114 and § 24.2-306, and determining the number of signatures required for candidate and voter petitions, “registered voter” shall include only persons maintained on the Virginia voter registration system with active status. For purposes of determining if a signature on a petition shall be included in the count toward meeting the signature requirements of any petition, “registered voter” shall include only persons maintained on the Virginia voter registration system (i) with active status and (ii) on inactive status who are qualified to vote for the office for which the petition was circulated.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [General Registrar]

The person appointed by the electoral board of a county or city pursuant to § 24.2-110 to be responsible for all aspects of voter registration, in addition to other duties prescribed by this title. When performing duties related to the administration of elections, the general registrar is acting in his capacity as the director of elections for the locality in which he serves.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Department of Elections]

The state agency headed by the Commissioner of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Voter registration system]

The automated central record-keeping system for all voters registered within the Commonwealth that is maintained as provided in Article 2 (§ 24.2-404 et seq.) of Chapter 4.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Political party committee]

Any state political party committee, congressional district political party committee, county or city political party committee, other election district political party committee, or organized political party group of elected officials. This definition is subject to the provisions of § 24.2-950.1. See § 24.2-945.1.

The term shall not include any other organization or auxiliary associated with or using the name of a political party. See § 24.2-955.1.

Definition [Political action committee]

Any organization, person, or group of persons, established or maintained to receive and expend contributions for the primary purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate. The term shall not include a campaign committee, federal political action committee, out-of-state political committee, political party committee, referendum committee, or inaugural committee.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Party]

An organization of citizens of the Commonwealth which, at either of the two preceding statewide general elections, received at least 10 percent of the total vote cast for any statewide office filled in that election. The organization shall have a state central committee and an office of elected state chairman which have been continually in existence for the six months preceding the filing of a nominee for any office.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Board]

The State Board of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [State]

A state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

See § 24.2-452.

Definition [Person]

Any individual or corporation, partnership, business, labor organization, membership organization, association, cooperative, or other like entity.

For the purpose of applying the filing and reporting requirements of this chapter, the term “person” shall not include an organization holding tax-exempt status under § 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code which, in providing information to voters, does not advocate or endorse the election or defeat of a particular candidate, group of candidates, or the candidates of a particular political party.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Primary]

An election held for the purpose of selecting a candidate to be the nominee of a political party for election to office.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Election]

A general, primary, or special election.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Candidate]

A person who seeks or campaigns for an office of the Commonwealth or one of its governmental units in a general, primary, or special election and who is qualified to have his name placed on the ballot for the office. “Candidate” shall include a person who seeks the nomination of a political party or who, by reason of receiving the nomination of a political party for election to an office, is referred to as its nominee. For the purposes of Chapters 8 (§ 24.2-800 et seq.), 9.3 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.), and 9.5 (§ 24.2-955 et seq.), “candidate” shall include any write-in candidate. However, no write-in candidate who has received less than 15 percent of the votes cast for the office shall be eligible to initiate an election contest pursuant to Article 2 (§ 24.2-803 et seq.) of Chapter 8. For the purposes of Chapters 9.3 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.) and 9.5 (§ 24.2-955 et seq.), “candidate” shall include any person who raises or spends funds in order to seek or campaign for an office of the Commonwealth, excluding federal offices, or one of its governmental units in a party nomination process or general, primary, or special election; and such person shall be considered a candidate until a final report is filed pursuant to Article 3 (§ 24.2-947 et seq.) of Chapter 9.3.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Residence]

For all purposes of qualification to register and vote, means and requires both domicile and a place of abode. To establish domicile, a person must live in a particular locality with the intention to remain. A place of abode is the physical place where a person dwells.

See § 24.2-101.

Cases

Virginia Cases

Case Name: Mahan v. National Conservative Political Action Committee

Citation: 315 S.E.2d 829

Year: 1984

Case URL: https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/1bbbc0f3dc44f17e7a43b0c3947d2917

Case Summary: Holding that statute restricting entities which could obtain copies of statewide list of registered voters was unconstitutional as applied to political action committee, because it was not the least burdensome way to achieve the legislative interest in protecting privacy of voters.

Out-of-State Cases

Federal Cases

Case Name: Greidinger v. Davis

Citation: 988 F.2d 1344

Federal Circuit Court: 4th Circuit Court

Year: 1993

Case URL: https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/172137866d5052e5de17fec3ada830cc

Case Summary: Striking down state’s practice of requiring social security numbers on voter registration applications and then making those applications available for public inspection.