CHAPTER 545

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 24-851 and 24-856, as amended, of the
Code of Virginia, relating to primary elections. CH 590]

Approved March 31, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 24-851 and 24-356, as amended, of the Code of Virginia, be
amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 24-851. It shall be the duty of the chairman and secretary of the
State central committee of every party, by writing signed by themselves,
to notify the State Board of Elections whether such committee has or has
not adopted the direct primary and to what candidates such adoption
refers. In case the discretion of nominating local candidates be vested in
the local committees, then it shall be the duty of the chairman and secre-
tary of such local committee to notify the State Board of Elections of the
action taken by them in such regard. The notification required by this
section shall be made at least one hundred ten days before the date herein
set for the primaries.

§ 24-356. All the provisions and requirements of the statutes of this
State in relation to the holding of elections, the counting of ballots, the
making and certifying of returns and all other kindred subjects shall
apply to all primaries insofar as they are consistent with this chapter.
All the provisions of this Code, insofar as they relate to crimes against
the electoral franchise, are hereby made applicable to primaries except
when inconsistent with this chapter. Lists of qualified voters shall be
furnished the judges of the primary of each party participating in the
Same manner as they are directed by law to be furnished the judges of
election. Each judge of a primary shall, before entering upon the dis-
charge of his duties, take an oath, which may be administered by any
judge faithfully to discharge the duties of his office. In the event of the
absence from the voting place of any of the judges appointed by the elec-
toral board for one hour after the time prescribed in § 24-182 * for the
opening of the polls, then the other judge or judges present shall appoint
a substitute judge or judges from duly qualified voters present of the
party or parties holding the primary, and in the absence for two hours
after the time prescribed in § 24-182 * for the opening of the polls of all
the judges appointed by the electoral board, then three duly qualified
voters belonging to the political party holding the election may act as
judges and conduct the election in the manner herein prescribed.

The words “primary” and “primaries” as used in this section shall
also include any second primary or primaries.