Bill Text: VA HB194 | 2014 | Regular Session | Prefiled

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Bill Title: Candidates for office; method of nominations, etc.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-12 - Left in Privileges and Elections [HB194 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2014-HB194-Prefiled.html

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14102553D
HOUSE BILL NO. 194 Offered January 8, 2014 Prefiled December 23, 2013 A BILL to amend and reenact §24.2-509 of the Code of Virginia, relating to party to determine method of nominating its candidates for office; exceptions. ---------- Patron-- Taylor ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §24.2-509 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§24.2-509. Party to determine method of nominating its candidates for office; exceptions.

A. The Subject to the provisions of subsection C, the duly constituted authorities of the state political party shall have the right to determine the method by which a party nomination for a member of the United States Senate or for any statewide office shall be made. The Subject to the provisions of subsection C, the duly constituted authorities of the political party for the district, county, city, or town in which any other office is to be filled shall have the right to determine the method by which a party nomination for that office shall be made.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A, but subject to the provisions of subsection C, the following provisions shall apply to the determination of the method of making party nominations. A party shall nominate its candidate for election for a General Assembly district where there is only one incumbent of that party for the district by the method designated by that incumbent, or absent any designation by him by the method of nomination determined by the party. A party shall nominate its candidates for election for a General Assembly district where there is more than one incumbent of that party for the district by a primary unless all the incumbents consent to a different method of nomination. A party, whose candidate at the immediately preceding election for a particular office other than the General Assembly (i) was nominated by a primary or filed for a primary but was not opposed and (ii) was elected at the general election, shall nominate a candidate for the next election for that office by a primary unless all incumbents of that party for that office consent to a different method.

When, under any of the foregoing provisions, no incumbents offer as candidates for reelection to the same office, the method of nomination shall be determined by the political party.

For the purposes of this subsection, any officeholder who offers for reelection to the same office shall be deemed an incumbent notwithstanding that the district which he represents differs in part from that for which he offers for election.

C. No political party, through its duly constituted authorities or an incumbent as provided in subsection B, shall determine that its candidates for statewide or General Assembly district office shall be nominated by a method that prohibits the absentee ballots from being cast by uniformed-service voters, as defined in §24.2-452, or otherwise eligible voters who are employed overseas under a contract with the U. S. Department of Defense.