Political Campaign Election Poll Rules
Campaign Poll Workers
- Poll workers must
be outside 40 feet of any entrance to the building in which the polling
place is located.
- There is no limit
to the number or poll workers allowed outside the polling place.
- Poll workers cannot
hinder or delay a person from entering or leaving a polling place.
- Loudspeakers cannot
be used within 300 feet of any polling place.
- Political campaign supplies,
including Sample
Ballots,
may be distributed outside the 40 feet but must contain the statement
-- "Paid for and Authorized by (name of candidate or name of candidate's
campaign committee or name of political party committee or name and
address of person responsible)".
- Paper ballots cannot be printed on white paper and must contain the
words SAMPLE BALLOT in type no smaller than twenty-four point.
- Machine ballots may be printed on white paper but must also have
SAMPLE BALLOT.
- Voters are allowed to carry Sample
Ballots and campaign supplies into the polling place.
Authorized Representative
- Each political
party, independent or primary candidate is allowed a representative
for each registration book who may remain in the room during the election
process. No more than three representatives for each party, independent
or primary candidate are allowed in any one polling place.
- An authorized list of representatives should be given to the local electoral board or chief officer of election; or a written statement should be given to each
Representative to show at the polling place. representatives can be
set up on a shift basis by the party or independent candidate.
- The representative cannot in any way hinder or delay a voter.
- The representative
cannot give or display a ballot, ticket or other campaign material.
- The representative cannot influence any person in casting his ballot.
- The representative cannot hinder or delay any officer of election.
- The representative cannot sit at the registration table with the officers of election but should be placed behind the registration table.
- A representative may mark or write his own list of those who have voted. An officer cannot provide any lists to representatives.
- A representative must be a qualified voter in the city or county in which the polling
place is located.
- As a qualified voter the representative may challenge a voter who is suspected or known not to be duly qualified. The challenged voter will be offered an oath
by an officer. If the voter subscribes to the oath he must be allowed
to vote in the normal manner. If the voter refuses to take the oath
he will not be allowed to vote. Challenges should not be made frivolously.
In a primary election a person may not be challenged as to his party
affiliation.
- A voter who is educationally or physically unable to vote his own ballot may be assisted, if he so requests, by an officer of election or other person of his
choice who is not his employer, an officer of his union, nor an agent
of his employer or union. The person assisting any such voter must take
an oath to vote as the voter directs and not to reveal how the voter
voted. Except for blind voters, all voters requiring assistance must
take an oath and vote in the normal manner.
- The officers of election have the authority to remove any representative who does not
adhere to the aforementioned guidelines.
Representative At Close or Polls
- Each political
party may have two representatives and an independent or primary candidate
may have one representative at the polling place to witness the counting
of ballots and ascertainment of results.
- Again, the representative
must be a qualified voter of the city or county in which the polling
place is located.
- Representative must have a written statement signed by his party chairman or the independent or primary candidate he represents which should be presented to the
chief officer of election.
- This representative may be someone other than the representatives used while the polls are open.
- The representative
cannot leave until the final results are ascertained and the chief officer
of election has opened the doors and announced the results of the election.
There are not exceptions to this rule.
- Representatives
may witness counting and ascertainment of results but may not touch
or handle any ballot, voting machine or official document.
Reporting of Alleged Election Day Problems
- Any alleged voting discrepancies should be reported to the officers of election, the local electoral board and/or the VA State Board of Elections
at the time they occur. If complaints are received at the time they
occur corrective action, if necessary, can be made. If reports are not
made until the election is completed there is little to do to remedy
the situation.
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