Chap. 285.—An ACT to amend the Code of Virginia by adding thereto three new
sections numbered 83-a, 83-b and 83-c, creating a State Board of Elections and
prescribing its powers, duties and functions; to repeal Sections 94 and 188 of
the Code of Virginia relating to the powers and duties of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth and of the Board of State Canvassers ; and to appropriate funds
to carry out the provisions of this act. [H B 69]

Approved March 26, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia be amended by adding thereto three
new sections numbered eighty-three-a, eighty-three-b, and eighty-three-c,
as follows:

Section 83-a. State Board of Elections created_—There shall be a
permanent board, which shall be known as the State Board of Elections,
to consist of three members, appointed by the Governor from the qualified
voters of the State, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly.
The regular terms of office of such members shall be four years, com-
mencing February first after their appointment. Vacancies shall be filled
for the unexpired terms. In the appointment of the board representation
shall be given to the political parties having the highest and next highest
number of adherents in this State. The Governor shall designate one
member of the board as the secretary, who shall receive a salary of five
thousand dollars a year. The remaining members shall receive a per
diem of twenty dollars for each day spent in the work of the board. All
members shall receive their necessary traveling and other expenses in-
curred in the performance of their duties. The board shall adopt a seal
for its use, and by-laws for its own government and procedure. The
board shall be provided with necessary office space and equipment at the
Capitol in Richmond, and may employ such clerical and other assistants
as it may require.

All the powers and duties conferred or imposed upon the Secretary
of the Commonwealth under the provisions of the election laws of the
State are hereby transferred to and shall be exercised by the State Board
of Elections. All powers and duties conferred or imposed upon the
Board of State Canvassers by law are hereby transferred to and shall be
exercised by the State Board of Elections, and the Board of State Can-
vassers 1s hereby abolished.
Section 83-b. Powers and duties of the board.—The State Board
of Elections shall so supervise and co-ordinate the work of the county
and city electoral boards and of the registrars as to obtain uniformity in
their practices and proceedings and legality and purity in all elections.
It shall make such rules and regulations not inconsistent with law as
will be conducive to the proper functioning of such electoral boards and
registrars, and may institute proceedings for the removal of any member
of an electoral board or other election official and any registrar who fails
to discharge the duties of his office. The board may require that the
registration books or records of any or all precincts in a county or city
shall be purged whenever it deems it proper, and shall direct such purge
to be had in any precinct in which a purge of registrations has not been
had within a reasonable period or where a purge has been incomplete or
insufficient. The purging of the registrations shall be in the manner
provided by section one hundred seven of the Code of Virginia. The
board, in any instance in which it is of opinion that the public interest
will be served thereby, may request the Attorney General, or other at-
torney designated by the Governor for the purpose, to assist the attorney
for the Commonwealth of any jurisdiction in which election laws have
been violated, and the Attorney General, or the other attorney designated
by the Governor, shall have fuil authority to do all things necessary or
appropriate to enforce the election laws or prosecute violations thereof.

Section 83-c. Board to prepare and distribute records for registra-
tion.— The State Board of Elections shall prepare suitable books or other
appropriate forms or records for the registration of voters, and forward
them to the clerks of the circuit courts of the counties and the corporation
courts of the cities, to be by them distributed to the registrars of their re-
spective election districts. The records shall be so arranged as to admit
of the alphabetical classification of those registered, and shall be ruled in
parallel columns in which shall be entered the full name of the voter, the
fact that he is sworn, his age, occupation, his place of residence at time of
registration, the length of time of his residence at time of registration, the
length of time of his residence in the county or city, and if in a city, the
name of the street and number of house in which he resides if numbered,
the length of time he has resided in the State, and if naturalized, the date
of his papers and if known the court by which they were issued. The
list of voters, white and colored, men and women, shall be kept and ar-
ranged in separate books or records, and shall indicate by appropriate
designation the voters who are on the permanent rolls.

2. Sections ninety-four and one hundred eighty-eight of the Code
of Virginia are hereby repealed.

3. In order to provide funds necessary to carry out the provisions
of this act, there is hereby appropriated to the State Board of Elections,
out of the general fund in the State treasury, the sum of twenty-five
thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the biennium
beginning July one, nineteen hundred forty-six. All payments out of
this appropriation shall be made by the Treasurer on warrants of the
Comptroller issued on vouchers signed by the secretary of the board, or
such other person or persons as may be designated by the board for the
purpose.