Primary elections; voter registration by political party affiliation. (SB650)

Introduced By

Sen. John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Voter registration by political party affiliation; primary elections. Adds party affiliation, beginning January 1, 2017, to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when registering to vote. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. Voters registered prior to January 1, 2017, will be designated as independent unless they provide a political party designation in writing to the general registrar. Voters may change their party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time before the registration records are closed prior to an election. The state party chairman of each political party must notify the State Board of Elections by January 31 of each year of the rules adopted by the duly constituted authorities of the state political party governing who may participate in the party's primaries held from April 1 of that year through March 31 of the following year. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/18/2016Presented and ordered printed 16103319D
01/18/2016Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/22/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB650)
02/02/2016Reported from Privileges and Elections (7-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
02/02/2016Rereferred to Finance
02/10/2016Committee amendment
02/10/2016Continued to 2017 in Finance (12-Y 3-N) (see vote tally)
12/02/2016Left in Finance

Comments

Phil Thomas writes:

About 42% of registered voters are unaffiliated so why require party designation? Is this another attempt at disenfranchising more voters?