Title of Regulation: 1VAC20-60. Election Administration (amending 1VAC20-60-40).

Statutory Authority: § 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information:

June 25, 2013 - 10 a.m. - General Assembly Building, House Room C, Richmond, VA

Public Comment Deadline: June 21, 2013.

Agency Contact: Myron McClees, Policy Analyst, State Board of Elections, 1100 Bank Street, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 864-8949, or email myron.mcclees@sbe.virginia.gov.

Summary:

Chapter 469 of the 2013 Acts of Assembly added a provision that allows an officer of election to cause a machine to accept an optical scan ballot that was rejected due to an overvote. To conform the regulation to Chapter 469, the proposed amendment provides an exception to the general rule that a ballot may only be cast by a voter or an officer of election who has been specifically directed to do so by the voter.

1VAC20-60-40. When ballot cast.

A. A voter, voting in person on election day or voting absentee in-person, has not voted until a permanent record of the voter's intent is preserved.

B. A permanent record is preserved by a voter pressing the vote or cast button on a direct recording electronic machine, inserting an optical scan ballot into an electronic counter, or placing a paper ballot in an official ballot container.

C. A vote has not been cast by the voter unless and until the voter or an officer of election or assistant at the direction of and on behalf of the voter pursuant to § 24.2-649 of the Code of Virginia completes these actions to preserve a permanent record of the vote.

D. If any voter's ballot was not so cast by or at the direction of the voter, then the ballot cannot be cast by any officer of election or other person present. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, if a voter inserts a ballot into an optical scanner and departs prior to the ballot being returned by the scanner due to an overvote, the officer of election may cast the ballot for the absent voter.

E. An absentee voter who votes other than in person shall be deemed to have cast his ballot at the moment he personally delivers the ballot to the general registrar or electoral board or relinquishes control over the ballot to the United States Postal Service or other authorized carrier for returning the ballot as required by law.