Chap. 392.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 107 of the Code of Virginia,
providing how the registration books of election precincts may be purged.

[H 171}
Approved March 31, 1944

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia :

1. That section one hundred seven of the Code of Virginia he
amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 107. How registration books purged.—The electoral board
of every county or city may direct the registration books of any precinct
to be purged whenever they deem it proper, and they shall direct such
purging of the registration books of every precinct once every six years.
When such books are directed to be purged, it shall be the duty of the
registrar within ten days previous to either of the regular days of regis-
tration, to post printed notices at not less than three public places in
the district, including the voting place therein, of the names of all per-
sons who, in the judgment of the registrar, or those who may be alleged
by any three qualified voters of the election district, to be improperly on
the registration books of that district. The notice shall be signed by the
registrar. On the regular day of registration, the registrar shall hear
the testimony produced for or against the right of the persons, named
in the notice, to be retained on the registration books, and if he be
satisfied that any person mentioned in the notice, has removed from
the election district, has died, or for any other reason is not entitled
to be on the registration books of the district, he shall strike his name
from the registration books. If the registrar is unable to hear the
evidence in reference to the names alleged to be improperly on the
registration books on the regular days of registration, the books shall
be kept open as to such names only until such hearing is completed.
From the decision of the registrar whereby any person is stricken from
the registration books, such person shall have the right of appeal, as
provided in section one hundred three, and from the decision of the
registrar refusing to strike from the registration books any person
alleged to be improperly on the registration books, any qualified voter
of the county or city shall have the like right of appeal. Whenever any
person’s name has been placed upon the registration books of any election
district, and an election, either general or special, is appointed to be
held in the district at such time that no regular registration day will
intervene between the time when the name of such person is posted
as required by law and the election, then it shall be lawful for three
qualified voters’ of the election district to appeal to the circuit court
of his county or to the corporation court of his city, or the judge thereof
in vacation, from the action of the registrar in placing such name on
the registration books. Such appeal shall conform, as far as practicable,
to the provisions of section one hundred three, and any person whose
right to have his name remain on the registration books is contested,
shall have at least five days’ notice of the time and place when the appeal
will be heard, provided that this section shall not apply in any county or
city having a general registrar.

When a general purging of. the registration books 1s ordered, as
hereinbefore required, the registrar, after he has purged the registration
books, shall make a copy of the books in like manner as provided in
section ninety-one, leaving off all names stricken therefrom under the
provisions of this section. :

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.