Authority: Title 24.2, Chapter 1, Code of Virginia.
A. It is the intention of the General Assembly that all local precincts, other than central absentee precincts established under § 24.2-712, Code of Virginia, will use electronic pollbooks for elections held beginning in November, 2010.
B. Any locality using paper pollbooks for elections held beginning in November, 2010, shall be responsible for entering voting credit as provided in § 24.2-668. Additionally, any locality using paper pollbooks for elections held after November, 2010 may be required to reimburse the Department of Elections for state costs associated with providing paper pollbooks.
C. Municipalities will pay all expenses associated with May elections after June 30, 2009, including those costs incurred by the Department of Elections.
D. The State Board of Elections shall by regulation provide for an administrative fee up to $25 for each non-electronic report filed with the State Board under § 24.2-947.5. The regulation shall provide for waiver of the fee based upon indigence.
E. All unpaid charges and civil penalties assessed under Title 24.2 shall be subject to interest, the administrative collection fee and late penalties authorized in the Virginia Debt Collection Act, Chapter 48 of Title 2.2, § 2.2-4800 et seq.
F. Out of this appropriation, $212,687 the first year and $212,687 the second year from the general fund is provided for voter outreach and education required to inform voters about the photo identification requirements pursuant to Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2013. It is the intent of the General Assembly that registration cards containing the voter's photograph and signature be provided free to any eligible voter upon request to the general registrar.
G. Out of this appropriation, $212,423 the first year and $212,423 the second year from the general fund is provided for conducting list maintenance mailings as required by the National Voter Registration Act.
H. Out of this appropriation, $6,800 each year from the general fund is provided to increase the membership of the State Board of Elections from three members to five members, consistent with the provisions of § 24.2-102, Code of Virginia.
I. 1. It is the intent of the General Assembly that federal awards from the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) under P.L. 116-93 be used to replace the Virginia Election and Registration Information System (VERIS) by July 1, 2022. Out of the amounts included in this item, $2,035,142 up to $18,770,766 the first year from the general fund may be used to support VERIS replacement and shall serve as the state's required match to receive the federal HAVA award.
2. All available HAVA funding and associated state matching funds required that are eligible for this purpose shall be exhausted prior to using other general fund appropriation provided in this Item.
3. Out of the general fund amounts provided in this paragraph, $16,735,624 shall be unallotted. The Secretary of Finance and Secretary of Administration shall approve the allotment of these funds to be used for VERIS replacement costs after the exhaustion of all available HAVA funding and the initial required state match component of $2,035,142.
4. Any balances remaining from the appropriation identified in this paragraph shall not revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year, but shall be brought forward and made available to support VERIS replacement in the subsequent fiscal year.
J. Out of the amounts included in this item, $96,644 the first year and $96,644 the second year from the general fund and one position shall support a permanent, full-time director of operations position subject to the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.) within the Department.