Bill Text: WV SB2001 | 2010 | 2nd Special Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Filling of vacancies in office of U. S. Senator
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-07-20 - Tabled on 3rd reading, House Calendar [SB2001 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2010-SB2001-Engrossed.html
A BILL to amend and reenact §3-1-44 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §3-10-1 and §3-10-3of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §3-10-4a, all relating to vacancies in the office of United States Senator; requiring the state to pay costs incurred in connection with a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator; making technical amendments; clarifying the procedure for filling vacancies in the office of United States Senator; providing that any vacancy occurring in the office of United States Senator is filled by the Governor by appointment with the advice and consent of the Senate; specifying when an election is required to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator; setting forth procedures for the nomination of candidates for an election to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator; requiring a special primary election for the nomination of political party candidates under certain circumstances; setting forth requirements for a Governor's proclamation; establishing certain time frames and guidelines for conducting elections to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator; providing that the Secretary of State may modify ministerial election duties, deadlines or procedures in connection with an election to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator; and providing an effective date .
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §3-1-44 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that §3-10-1 and §3-10-3 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §3-10-4a , all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS.
§3-1-44. Compensation of election officials; expenses.
(a) Each ballot commissioner is to be paid a sum, to be fixed by the county commission, not exceeding $125 for each day he or she serves as ballot commissioner, but in no case may a ballot commissioner receive allowance for more than ten days' services for any one primary, general or special election.
(b) Each commissioner of election and poll clerk is to be paid a sum, to be fixed by the county commission, not exceeding $125 for one day's services for attending the school of instruction for election officials if the commissioner or poll clerk provides at least one day's service during an election and a sum not exceeding $175 for his or her services at any one election: Provided, That each commissioner of election and poll clerk is to be paid a sum not exceeding $175 for his or her services at any of the
(c) Each alternate commissioner of election and poll clerk may be paid a sum, to be fixed by the county commission, not exceeding $50 for one day's services for attending the school of instruction for election officials: Provided, That no alternate
(d) The commissioners of election or poll clerks obtaining and delivering the election supplies, as provided in section twenty- four of this article, and returning them, as provided in articles five and six of this chapter, are to be paid an additional sum, fixed by the county commission, not exceeding $125 for his or her services pursuant to this subsection at any one election. In addition, he or she is to be paid mileage up to the rate of reimbursement authorized by the Travel Management Rule of the Department of Administration for each mile necessarily traveled in the performance of his or her services.
(e) The compensation of election officers, cost of printing ballots and all other expenses incurred in holding and making the return of elections, other than the
(f) The compensation of election officers, cost of printing ballots and all other reasonable and necessary expenses in holding and making the return of a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator, of a special election for the purpose of taking the sense of the voters on the question of calling a constitutional convention, of a special election to elect members of a constitutional convention and of a special election to ratify or reject the proposals, acts and ordinances of a constitutional convention are obligations of the state incurred by the ballot commissioners, clerks of the circuit courts, clerks of the county commissions and county commissions of the various counties as agents of the state. All expenses of these special elections are to be audited and approved by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall prepare and transmit to the county commissions forms on which the county commissions shall certify all expenses of these special elections to the Secretary of State. If satisfied that the expenses as certified by the county commissions are reasonable and were necessarily incurred, the Secretary of State shall requisition the necessary warrants from the Auditor of the state to be drawn on the State Treasurer and shall mail the warrants directly to the vendors of the special election services, supplies and facilities.
ARTICLE 10. FILLING VACANCIES.
§3-10-1. Elections to fill vacancies.
(a) Except as provided in sections three,
(b) Elections to fill vacancies shall be
(c) The persons elected, having first duly qualified, shall enter upon the duties of their respective offices.
§3-10-3. Vacancies in offices of state officials and judges.
Any vacancy occurring in the office of Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture,
§3-10-4a. Vacancies in the office of United States Senator.
(a) Any vacancy occurring in the office of United States Senator shall be filled by the Governor by appointment. If the vacancy occurs when there is a period of less than two years remaining in the term, the appointment to fill the vacancy is for the unexpired term. If the vacancy occurs when there is a period of two years or longer remaining in the term, the appointment is until a successor to the unexpired term has been elected and qualified in accordance with this section.
(b) A special election to fill an unexpired term in accordance with this section shall be conducted as follows:
(1) If the vacancy occurs more than one hundred twenty days before the next regularly scheduled general election, the Governor shall proclaim a special election to fill the vacancy to be held concurrently with the next regularly scheduled general election.
(2) If the vacancy occurs one hundred twenty days or less before the next regularly scheduled general election, the Governor shall proclaim a special election to fill the vacancy to be held concurrently with the next succeeding regularly scheduled general election.
(c) The procedure for nominating candidates to appear on a ballot for an election to fill a vacancy in accordance with this section shall be as follows:
(1) If the vacancy occurs at least ten days prior to the last day for filing a certificate of announcement in accordance with section seven, article five of this chapter, political party candidates shall be nominated at the next regularly scheduled primary election in accordance with the provisions of article five of this chapter. If the vacancy occurs at any other time where the election to fill the vacancy is required to be held concurrently with the next regularly scheduled general election, a special primary election for the purpose of nominating a candidate for each political party shall be held no sooner than sixty days after the occurrence of the vacancy and no later than sixty days before the next regularly scheduled general election.
(2) Any political party that is not qualified to nominate candidates at a primary election may nominate candidates in accordance with section twenty-two, article five of this chapter.
(3) Groups of citizens having no party organization may nominate candidates in accordance with section twenty-three, article five of this chapter.
(d) A proclamation of the Governor issued in accordance with this section shall be published prior to the election as a Class II-0 legal advertisement in accordance with article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code and the publication area for the publication is each county of the state. The proclamation shall be filed with the Secretary of State who shall immediately transmit the document to the clerk of the county commission of each county in which the election is to be held. The clerk of the county commission of each county in which the election is to be held shall cause the document to be published within the county in accordance with this section.
(e) The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the special vacancy elections authorized by this section to the extent that they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section. Statutory time deadlines relating to availability of absentee ballots, certification, canvassing and related election procedures that cannot be met in a timely fashion, are modified as follows: (1) the special primary election shall be held on a Saturday;
(2) absentee ballots, other than military and overseas ballots, shall be mailed no later than fifteen days prior to the special primary election and the general election; military and overseas ballots shall be mailed no later than thirty days prior to the special primary election and the general election;
(3) declaration of candidacy and filing fee shall be filed and received by the Secretary of State or the county clerk of the candidate's county of residence within four business days of the proclamation of the special primary election; the declaration of candidacy may be filed in person, by United States mail or by electronic means authorized by the Secretary of State;
(4) the early voting period shall begin eight calender days prior to the special primary election; and
(5) the canvass shall be completed and the results declared no later than four o'clock on the third business day following the special primary election.
(f) The Secretary of State shall, by administrative order, modify any ministerial election duties, deadlines and procedures and undertake all actions necessary to assure the orderly administration of the elections established by this section.
(g) The provisions of this section apply to any vacancy in the office of United States Senator occurring on or after June 1, 2010.
