§ 24.2-946.5 Dormant committees
Overview of Statute
This section authorizes the State Board or general registrar to close the file of any candidate campaign committee or political committee that has not filed a final report in the event an individual associated with the committee cannot be located. However, a committee shall not be closed if it has filed a report in the past five years.
Statute
A. The State Board or the general registrar of any county or city may close the file of any candidate campaign committee or political committee required to file with it provided the committee has not filed a final report and the Board or registrar cannot locate either the candidate or his campaign treasurer, or in the case of any political committee, the Board or registrar cannot locate the treasurer or custodian of the books of the committee. A candidate campaign committee file shall not be closed if the candidate has filed a report with the Board or registrar for any campaign for any office within the prior five years. A political committee file shall not be closed if the committee has filed a report within the prior five years.
B. Once the committee’s file has been closed, no more reports will be due and no additional penalties for failure to file will accrue. However, if the whereabouts of the candidate or his campaign treasurer, or in the case of any political committee, the treasurer or custodian of the books of the committee, later becomes known to the Board or registrar, it may reopen the file and send notice to the candidate, or in the case of any political committee, the treasurer or custodian of the books of the committee, requesting that he file the appropriate reports and pay any penalties that were levied before the file was closed by it.
1975, c. 515, § 24.1-262; 1984, c. 480, § 24.1-257.1; 1986, c. 558, § 24.1-257.2; 1988, c. 734; 1990, c. 976; 1991, c. 709; 1993, c. 641, § 24.2-929; 1994, c. 752; 1995, c. 785; 2000, cc. 233, 511, 555, §§ 24.2-920.1, 24.2-923.1; 2001, cc. 620, 635, 648; 2004, cc. 457, 480; 2005, cc. 9, 371, 676, 745; 2006, cc. 787, 892; 2015, cc. 644, 645.
- Cross-References:
- Campaign Finance
- Reporting
1. Definition for State Board
The State Board of Elections.
See § 24.2-101.
2. Definition for General Registrar
The person appointed by the electoral board of a county or city pursuant to § 24.2-110 to be responsible for all aspects of voter registration, in addition to other duties prescribed by this title. When performing duties related to the administration of elections, the general registrar is acting in his capacity as the director of elections for the locality in which he serves.
See § 24.2-101.
3. Definition for Campaign committee
The committee designated by a candidate to receive all contributions and make all expenditures for him or on his behalf in connection with his nomination or election.
See § 24.2-945.1.
4. Definition for Political committee
Any political action committee, political party committee, referendum committee, or inaugural committee. The term shall not include: (i) a federal political action committee or out-of-state political committee; (ii) a campaign committee; (iii) a political party committee exempted pursuant to § 24.2-950.1; or (iv) a person who receives no contributions from any source and whose only expenditures are made solely from his own funds and are either contributions made by him which are reportable by the recipient pursuant to this chapter or independent expenditures which are reportable by him to the extent required by § 24.2-945.2, or a combination of such reportable contributions and independent expenditures.
For the purpose of applying the filing and reporting requirements of this chapter, the term “political committee” 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.
5. Definition for Candidate campaign committee
The committee designated by a candidate to receive all contributions and make all expenditures for him or on his behalf in connection with his nomination or election.
See § 24.2-955.1.
6. Definition for Board
The State Board of Elections.
See § 24.2-101.
7. Definition for State
A state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
See § 24.2-452.
8. Definition for 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.