Bill Text: VA HB1133 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Candidate petitions for primaries and general elections; requirements for petition circulators.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-04-04 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0538) [HB1133 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2012-HB1133-Introduced.html
12103364D Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That §§ 24.2-521 and 24.2-545 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows: §24.2-521. Political party to determine rules for participation in primary. A candidate for nomination by primary for any office shall be
required to
§24.2-545. Presidential primary. A. The duly constituted authorities of the state political party shall have the right to determine the method by which the state party will select its delegates to the national convention to choose the party's nominees for President and Vice President of the United States including a presidential primary or another method determined by the party. The state chairman shall notify the State Board of the party's determination at least 90 days before the primary date. If the party has determined that it will hold a presidential primary, each registered voter of the Commonwealth shall be given an opportunity to participate in the presidential primary of the political party, as defined in §24.2-101, subject to requirements determined by the political party for participation in its presidential primary. The requirements may include, but shall not be limited to, the signing of a pledge by the voter of his intention to support the party's candidate when offering to vote in the primary. The requirements applicable to a party's primary shall be determined at least 90 days prior to the primary date and certified to, and approved by, the State Board. B.
The party may, but is not required to, provide for the filing of petitions to qualify for the primary ballot. However, if the party does adopt a petition requirement, the number of signatures required to qualify for the primary ballot shall not be greater than the number of signatures required for other groups to qualify pursuant to the provisions of §24.2-543. The state chairman of the party shall, by the deadline set by the State Board, furnish to the State Board the names of all candidates who have satisfied the requirements of the party and of this section. Whenever only one candidate for a party's nomination for President of the United States has met the requirements to have his name on the ballot, he will be declared the winner and no presidential primary for that party will be held. C. The names of all candidates in the presidential primary of each political party shall appear on the ballot in an order determined by lot by the State Board. D. The State Board shall certify the results of the presidential primary to the state chairman. If the party has determined that its delegates and alternates will be selected pursuant to the primary, the slate of delegates and alternates of the candidate receiving the most votes in the primary shall be deemed elected by the state party unless the party has determined another method for allocation of delegates and alternates. If the party has determined to use another method for selecting delegates and alternates, those delegates and alternates shall be bound to vote on the first ballot at the national convention for the candidate receiving the most votes in the primary unless that candidate releases those delegates and alternates from such vote. E. The election, or binding of votes, of delegates to a political party's national convention for the nomination of that party's candidates for President and Vice President of the United States through the presidential primary process shall be considered to be equivalent to a primary for the nomination of a party's candidate. F. The cost of the presidential primary shall be paid by the Commonwealth pursuant to the provisions of the appropriation act. |