Topics
Code Section
Tool bar
Virginia > Title 24.2 Elections > Candidates For Office Article 5. Death, Withdrawal, or Disqualification of Party Nominee

§ 24.2-541 Printing of names on ballot

Statute

In the case (i) of a candidate who has died if the notice is filed with the proper official at least 25 days before the day on which the election is to be held or (ii) of a candidate who has withdrawn or had his nomination set aside if the notice is filed with the proper official at least 60 days before the day on which the election is to be held, the electoral board or boards having charge of the printing of the ballots for such election shall either:

1. Cause to be printed thereon the name of every person qualifying as provided in this article; or

2. If ballots for the election have already been printed, cause separate ballots to be printed for the office on which shall be printed the name of every person qualifying as provided in this article and of any other party or nonparty candidate for the same office who had already qualified to have his name printed on the ballot. In addition, the electoral board may cause to be stricken from the earlier printed ballots the title of the office involved and the names of all candidates for that office appearing thereon.

If the candidate so dying, withdrawing or having his nomination set aside is a candidate for an office to which more than one person is to be elected and none of the candidates was opposed prior to such death, withdrawal, or setting aside, then the ballots shall be so printed as to permit the electors to vote separately for the remaining unopposed candidate or candidates, and for such persons who filed notice of candidacy as provided in this article.

Whenever any additional candidate qualifies as provided in this article, no votes previously cast by absentee ballot for a candidate for such office shall be counted, but any person who has so voted shall be entitled to receive a new ballot and to vote for his choice among all the candidates for such office.

Code 1950, §§ 24-234, 24-235; 1970, c. 462, § 24.1-110; 1976, c. 616; 1980, c. 639; 1984, c. 480; 1990, c. 476; 1992, c. 828; 1993, c. 641; 2003, c. 476.

Definition [Printed ballot]

A tangible ballot that is printed on paper and includes both machine-readable ballots and paper ballots.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Electoral board]

A board appointed pursuant to § 24.2-106 to administer elections for a county or city. The electoral board of the county in which a town or the greater part of a town is located shall administer the town’s elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Party]

An organization of citizens of the Commonwealth which, at either of the two preceding statewide general elections, received at least 10 percent of the total vote cast for any statewide office filled in that election. The organization shall have a state central committee and an office of elected state chairman which have been continually in existence for the six months preceding the filing of a nominee for any office.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Board]

The State Board of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Person]

Any individual or corporation, partnership, business, labor organization, membership organization, association, cooperative, or other like entity.

For the purpose of applying the filing and reporting requirements of this chapter, the term “person” shall not include an organization holding tax-exempt status under § 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code which, in providing information to voters, does not advocate or endorse the election or defeat of a particular candidate, group of candidates, or the candidates of a particular political party.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Election]

A general, primary, or special election.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Candidate]

A person who seeks or campaigns for an office of the Commonwealth or one of its governmental units in a general, primary, or special election and who is qualified to have his name placed on the ballot for the office. “Candidate” shall include a person who seeks the nomination of a political party or who, by reason of receiving the nomination of a political party for election to an office, is referred to as its nominee. For the purposes of Chapters 8 (§ 24.2-800 et seq.), 9.3 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.), and 9.5 (§ 24.2-955 et seq.), “candidate” shall include any write-in candidate. However, no write-in candidate who has received less than 15 percent of the votes cast for the office shall be eligible to initiate an election contest pursuant to Article 2 (§ 24.2-803 et seq.) of Chapter 8. For the purposes of Chapters 9.3 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.) and 9.5 (§ 24.2-955 et seq.), “candidate” shall include any person who raises or spends funds in order to seek or campaign for an office of the Commonwealth, excluding federal offices, or one of its governmental units in a party nomination process or general, primary, or special election; and such person shall be considered a candidate until a final report is filed pursuant to Article 3 (§ 24.2-947 et seq.) of Chapter 9.3.

See § 24.2-101.