RULES FOR 2013 REPUBLICAN 14TH SENATE DISTRICT NOMINATION CANVASS
The members of the 14th Senate District Legislative Committee (14th Legislative District Chair and Republican Unit Chairs of Chesapeake City, Franklin City, Isle of Wight County, Portsmouth City, Southampton County, Suffolk City and Virginia Beach City) pursuant to the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia hereby adopt these rules for the conduct of the Party Canvass for the Republican nominee for the office of the 14th Senate District, Senate of Virginia.
1) The 14th Senate District Canvass will be held at the times and locations described in the Call. The purpose is to nominate a candidate for the office of 14th Senate District, Senate of Virginia. There are no provisions for early or absentee voting in this canvass.
2) The canvass will, to the greatest extent possible, be governed by and conducted in accordance with the State Party Plan.
3) Each voter shall meet the requirements as specified in the Call (see attached). Each voter shall present a government issued photographic identification or an official and current (2012 or later) Commonwealth of Virginia Voter Registration card issued by the Voter Registrar in the political subdivision of his or her residency.
4) Voters shall only vote at a polling location in the City or County where they are registered to vote.
5) Each voter must sign a statement of intent to support the Republican nominees in the 2013 Special Election for the 14th Senate District as specified in the Republican Party of Virginia’s Plan of Organization (State Party Plan). No voter refusing to sign the statement of intent will be allowed to vote in the canvass.
6) The Chairman of the 14th Senate Legislative District shall appoint a Chairman of the Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee will be comprised of the Chair of each participating Unit or his/her designee. In that regard, each unit Chair may serve as, or appoint, a Deputy Chairman of the Credentials Committee and a Credentials Committee who will be responsible to register those offering to vote, to distribute ballots and to oversee the signing of the statements of intent. As much as possible, members of the Committee shall be uncommitted to any candidate and otherwise be divided equally among supporters of each candidate in the canvass. Members of the Credentials Committee will remain inside the room in which voting takes place during the period in which voting takes place.
7) The Chairman of the 14th Senate Legislation District shall appoint a Chief Teller. The Chairman of each unit participating in the Canvass shall appoint Deputy Chief Teller in every political subdivision in which the canvass is held and, to the greatest extent possible, a Tellers Committee. The Deputy Chief Teller shall assume the responsibilities for the Chief Teller at each assigned location and shall ensure that ballots and ballot boxes are secure and supervised at each location throughout the voting process.
8) The Chief Teller shall prepare and distribute ballots listing all of the names of qualified candidates for contested nominations who have properly filed and been certified as required in the Call. Ballot positions will be alphabetical. The Chief Teller will also prepare and distribute the statements of intent. The statements of intent will not be attached to any ballot but will be kept by each Deputy Chief Teller and given to the Chief Teller following the Canvass.
9) No one shall be allowed in the voting area without proper authorization. Neither candidates nor voters may loiter in the voting room. No candidate, observer or voter may engage in campaign activities in the voting areas.
10)Each candidate on the ballot may have up to two (2) representatives present in the voting area and to observe the counting of ballots.
11)Voters in the canvass may vote for only one (1) of the candidates listed on the ballot. No ballot with the name of a write in candidate will be counted.
12)No resolutions may be introduced.
13) The Chairman of each Credentials Committee (the designated unit Deputy Chair) shall decide any question that may arise concerning the eligibility of an individual to vote.
14) As soon as the voting period ends, the Chairman of the Credentials Committee (the designated unit Deputy Chair) shall immediately proceed to determine the number of voters who have properly voted in their canvass. The unused ballots will be preserved and used as a verification of the number of voters participating in the canvass.
15) At the end of voting period, 8:00 pm May 9, 2013, the Tellers Committee shall take the ballot boxes to a secure area and shall count the ballots, continuing without adjournment, until they declare the results of the canvass for their respective political subdivision and report the results to the Chief Teller and the 14th Senate District Legislative Chair. Only members of the Tellers Committee, the Credentials Committee and the Candidates designated observers may be present in the room when the ballots are counted. Ballots shall then be placed in a sealed envelope and delivered to the Chief Teller of the 14th Senate District by 10:00 am on May 10, 2013. The Chief Teller shall secure and preserve the ballots for a period of thirty (30) days in the event there is a challenge to the results.
16)Candidates shall be elected by a plurality or, in the event of two candidates, a majority of the total number of votes properly cast. Should no candidate receive a plurality or majority (in the event of two candidates) of the votes cast, and two or more persons have an equal number of votes, the Chairman of the District Credentials Committee and the Unit Deputy Chairs shall proceed to determine by lot, on the day following the canvass, which of the persons shall be declared nominated, after those persons have been notified of the time and place of the public determination and are allowed a reasonable opportunity to be present.
17) The 14th Legislative District Chair shall report the name of the elected nominee to the RVP and the State Board of Elections on the day following the Canvass.
18) The Chairmen of each unit may appoint a Sergeant-At-Arms and Deputy Sergeants-At-Arms to preserve order inside and outside the polling room.
19)No person shall be allowed to hinder, intimidate or interfere with any qualified voter to prevent the voter from casting a secret ballot.
20) A copy of these rules shall be distributed to each Unit Chair, the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Credentials and Tellers Committees as well as all members of the Committees. A copy of the approved rules will also be distributed to each candidate whose name appears on the Canvass ballot.
21)A copy of these Rules may be made available on the RPV website and participating Unit websites.