SB 740

Abstract

County and city precincts; required to be wholly contained within election districts; waiver for administration of split precinct. Requires each county and city precinct to be wholly contained within a single congressional district, Senate district, House of Delegates district, and local election district. By July 1 of each year ending in one, the governing body of each county and city is required to establish the precinct boundaries to be consistent with any congressional district, Senate district, House of Delegates district, and local election district that was adopted by the appropriate authority by June 15 of that year. If a governing body is unable to establish a precinct with the minimum number of registered voters without splitting the precinct between two or more congressional districts, Senate districts, House of Delegates districts, or local election districts, it is required to apply to the State Board of Elections for a waiver to administer a split precinct. The State Board is authorized to grant the waiver or to direct the establishment of a precinct with less than the minimum number of registered voters as permitted by current law. A governing body that is granted a waiver to administer a split precinct or is directed to establish a precinct with fewer than the minimum number of voters is permitted to use that precinct for any election held that year. This bill incorporates SB 119 and SB 121.

County and city precincts; required to be wholly contained within election districts; waiver for administration of split precinct. Requires each county and city precinct to be wholly contained within a single congressional district, Senate district, House of Delegates district, and local election district. The governing body of each county and city is required to establish its precincts immediately following the completion of the decennial redistricting by the General Assembly so that each precinct is wholly contained as required. If a governing body is unable to establish a precinct with the minimum number of registered voters without splitting the precinct between two or more congressional districts, Senate districts, House of Delegates districts, or local election districts, it is required to apply to the State Board of Elections for a waiver to administer a split precinct. The State Board is authorized to grant the waiver or to direct the establishment of a precinct with less than the minimum number of registered voters as permitted by current law. This bill incorporates SB 119 and SB 121.

County and city precincts; required to be wholly contained within election districts; waiver for administration of split precinct. Requires each county and city precinct to be wholly contained within a single congressional district, Senate district, House of Delegates district, and local election district. In each year ending in one, the governing body of each county and city is required to establish the precinct boundaries to be consistent with any congressional district, Senate district, House of Delegates district, and local election district that was adopted by the appropriate authority by June 15 of that year, and if new districts have not been adopted by the appropriate authority by that date, the governing body is permitted to use the districts as they existed on June 15 of that year as the basis for establishing the precincts to be used in the November elections held that year. The bill requires a governing body to apply to the State Board of Elections for a waiver to administer a split precinct if it is unable to establish a precinct with the minimum number of registered voters without splitting the precinct between two or more congressional districts, Senate districts, House of Delegates districts, or local election districts, and the State Board is authorized to grant the waiver or to direct the establishment of a precinct with less than the minimum number of registered voters as permitted by current law. A governing body that is granted a waiver to administer a split precinct or is directed to establish a precinct with fewer than the minimum number of voters is permitted to use that precinct for any election held that year. This bill incorporates SB 119 and SB 121.

Election districts; remedying split precincts;technical adjustments permitted. Authorizes the General Assemblyto make technical adjustments to legislative district boundariessubsequent to the decennial redistricting solely for the purposeof causing legislative district boundaries to coincide with localvoting precinct boundaries. Any adjustment shall change districts only to the extent necessary to accomplish this purpose and shallbe consistent with the criteria for districts established for thepreceding decennial redistricting.