SB474: Elections; method of nominating party candidates, party primaries.
SENATE BILL NO. 474
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 24.2-509 and 24.2-516 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 24.2-509. Party to determine method of nominating its candidates for office.
A. The
duly constituted authorities of the state political party shall have the right
to determine the method by which a party nomination for a member of the United
States Senate or for any statewide office shall be made. The duly constituted
authorities of the political party for the district, county, city, or town in
which any other office is to be filled shall have the right to determine the
method by which a party nomination for that office shall be made.
B. Notwithstanding
subsection A, the following provisions shall apply to the determination of the
method of making party nominations. A party shall nominate its candidate for
election for a General Assembly district where there is only one incumbent of
that party for the district by the method designated by that incumbent, or
absent any designation by him by the method of nomination determined by the
party. A party shall nominate its candidates for election for a General Assembly
district where there is more than one incumbent of that party for the district
by a primary unless all the incumbents consent to a different method of
nomination. A party, whose candidate at the immediately preceding election for
a particular office other than the General Assembly (i) was nominated by a
primary or filed for a primary but was not opposed and (ii) was elected at the
general election, shall nominate a candidate for the next election for that
office by a primary unless all incumbents of that party for that office consent
to a different method.
When, under any of the
foregoing provisions, no incumbents offer as candidates for reelection to the
same office, the method of nomination shall be determined by the political
party.
For the purposes of this
subsection, any officeholder who offers for reelection to the same office shall
be deemed an incumbent notwithstanding that the district which he represents
differs in part from that for which he offers for election.
§ 24.2-516. Party to furnish names of chairmen and notify State Board of adoption of direct primary.
Each political party within the Commonwealth shall furnish to the State Board the names and addresses of its state, county, and city party chairmen in January of each year, and during the remainder of the year it shall notify the Board of any changes in such names and addresses.
At least 135 days prior to the regular date for a primary, the Board shall inquire of each state chairman and each county and city chairman whether a direct primary has been adopted. The Board shall advise each chairman that notification to the Board of the adoption of a direct primary is required and must be filed with the Board not more than 125 days and not less than 105 days before the date set for the primaries.
Each chairman shall file timely written notice with the Board
whether or not a primary has been adopted and identify each office for which a
primary has been adopted. The requirement to notify the Board of the adoption
of a direct primary shall be satisfied when the Board receives by the deadline (i) written notice from the
appropriate party chairman or (ii) a copy of the
written notice from an incumbent officeholder to his party chairman of the
incumbent's selection, pursuant to § 24. 2-509,
of the primary as the method of nomination.