Charlottesville Board of Elections: Difference between revisions
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==Electoral Board members== | ==Electoral Board members== | ||
The Electoral Board for the City of Charlottesville is a three member board appointed by the Charlottesville Circuit Court Judges to a staggered, three-year term beginning March 1st. | The Electoral Board for the City of Charlottesville is a three member board appointed by the Charlottesville Circuit Court Judges to a staggered, three-year term beginning March 1st. | ||
: | :As of November 2022 | ||
# | #Republican Party: Jon Bright (Chair) | ||
# | #Democratic Party: Anne Hemenway (Vice Chair) | ||
# | #Democratic Party: Jim Nix (Secretary) | ||
Note: The chair and secretary must represent different political parties unless the position is declined. Board members serve three-year terms. Appointments are staggered so that each year one expires on the last day of February. Members can be reappointed and serve an unlimited number of terms. | Note: The chair and secretary must represent different political parties unless the position is declined. Board members serve three-year terms. Appointments are staggered so that each year one expires on the last day of February. Members can be reappointed and serve an unlimited number of terms. | ||
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==Electoral Board Meeting Minutes== | ==Electoral Board Meeting Minutes== | ||
== | ==Director of Elections and General Registrar== | ||
* | *Taylor Yowell | ||
==Chief Deputy Registrar== | |||
*Josh Jenkins | |||
==Deputy Registrars== | |||
*Laurel Isatchenko | |||
*Grant Armstrong | |||
===Former General Registrar/Director of Elections=== | ===Former General Registrar/Director of Elections=== | ||
*[[Melissa Morton]], June 28, 2019 <ref>https://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=66037</ref><ref>https://www.nbc29.com/story/40722937/melissa-morton-sworn-in-as-charlottesvilles-new-registrar</ref> | |||
*[[Rosanna Bencoach]], 2015 to June 28, 2019<ref>https://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=66037</ref><ref>https://www.nbc29.com/story/40722937/melissa-morton-sworn-in-as-charlottesvilles-new-registrar</ref> | *[[Rosanna Bencoach]], 2015 to June 28, 2019<ref>https://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=66037</ref><ref>https://www.nbc29.com/story/40722937/melissa-morton-sworn-in-as-charlottesvilles-new-registrar</ref> | ||
::In December [[2018]], General Registrar/Director of Elections [[Rosanna Bencoach]] told the Charlottesville Board of Elections that she would not seek reappointment to another four-year term. Her tenure started in early [[2015]], at the end of a saga that led to the resignation of Registrar [[Sheri Iachetta]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Charlottesville's voter registrar won’t seek reappointment |url=https://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/charlottesville-s-voter-registrar-won-t-seek-reappointment/article_eb492ad2-5655-11e9-b7ab-536963345aba.html|author=Nolan Stout |work=|publisher=The Daily Progress|location=|publishdate= April 3, 2019|accessdate=June 24, 2019}}</ref> | ::In December [[2018]], General Registrar/Director of Elections [[Rosanna Bencoach]] told the Charlottesville Board of Elections that she would not seek reappointment to another four-year term. Her tenure started in early [[2015]], at the end of a saga that led to the resignation of Registrar [[Sheri Iachetta]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Charlottesville's voter registrar won’t seek reappointment |url=https://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/charlottesville-s-voter-registrar-won-t-seek-reappointment/article_eb492ad2-5655-11e9-b7ab-536963345aba.html|author=Nolan Stout |work=|publisher=The Daily Progress|location=|publishdate= April 3, 2019|accessdate=June 24, 2019}}</ref> | ||
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*[[Sheri Iachetta]], served as registrar for 15 years, resigned [[December 31]], [[2014]]. | *[[Sheri Iachetta]], served as registrar for 15 years, resigned [[December 31]], [[2014]]. | ||
*[[Charlotte Riddick]], served as general registrar for 23 years, [[1971]] to June 6, 1994.<ref>http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+ful+HJ927ER</ref> | *[[Charlotte Riddick]], served as general registrar for 23 years, [[1971]] to June 6, 1994.<ref>http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+ful+HJ927ER</ref> | ||
*[[Jamie Virostko]], Acting Deputy Registrar<ref>https://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=66037</ref> | |||
==Officer of Election== | ==Officer of Election== | ||
An Officer of Election is a person appointed by an Electoral Board to serve at a polling place for any election pursuant to Virginia Election Laws. The Electoral Board, when appointing Officers of Election, must ask each officer which party he will agree to represent: Democrat or Republican. The officer is not required to be a member of either party. | An Officer of Election is a person appointed by an Electoral Board to serve at a polling place for any election pursuant to Virginia Election Laws. The Electoral Board, when appointing Officers of Election, must ask each officer which party he will agree to represent: Democrat or Republican. The officer is not required to be a member of either party. | ||
Revision as of 22:33, 18 December 2022
The Electoral Board for the City of Charlottesville is a local board responsible to the State Board of Elections. This bipartisan local electoral board is composed of three members who are appointed by the respective Circuit Court.
Current events
- The Charlottesville Electoral Board is considering changes to the precinct boundaries that would change two polling places, affecting about 40 percent of the city's registered voters. Public hearing will be held in January 2023.
- Note: In Charlottesville elections, voters are assigned by residence to one of ten geographic areas, Voting Precincts, each with its own polling place. See also: Ward elections
Purpose
The Electoral Board is charged with conducting elections in Charlottesville and certifying the results. Electoral boards have the authority to administer all aspects of elections, including oversight of the Director of Elections/Voter Registrar, protection of ballots, and the appointment of election officials.
Membership
Electoral Board members are selected by the local political parties and appointed by the Circuit Court to staggered three-year terms. The party of the Governor of Virginia selects two of the three appointments, with the third appointment being of the other major political party.
Note: There are 133 local Electoral Boards that oversees the voting process in 95 counties and 38 cities, so there is a total of 399 local Electoral Board members in Virginia.
Electoral Board members
The Electoral Board for the City of Charlottesville is a three member board appointed by the Charlottesville Circuit Court Judges to a staggered, three-year term beginning March 1st.
- As of November 2022
- Republican Party: Jon Bright (Chair)
- Democratic Party: Anne Hemenway (Vice Chair)
- Democratic Party: Jim Nix (Secretary)
Note: The chair and secretary must represent different political parties unless the position is declined. Board members serve three-year terms. Appointments are staggered so that each year one expires on the last day of February. Members can be reappointed and serve an unlimited number of terms.
Former electoral Board members
- Stephanie Commander, Democratic Party, left office in 2011.
- Joan Schatzman ,Democratic Party, Board Chair
- Rick Sincere, Republican Party
Electoral Board Meeting Minutes
Director of Elections and General Registrar
- Taylor Yowell
Chief Deputy Registrar
- Josh Jenkins
Deputy Registrars
- Laurel Isatchenko
- Grant Armstrong
Former General Registrar/Director of Elections
- Melissa Morton, June 28, 2019 [1][2]
- Rosanna Bencoach, 2015 to June 28, 2019[3][4]
- In December 2018, General Registrar/Director of Elections Rosanna Bencoach told the Charlottesville Board of Elections that she would not seek reappointment to another four-year term. Her tenure started in early 2015, at the end of a saga that led to the resignation of Registrar Sheri Iachetta.[5]
- Sheri Iachetta, served as registrar for 15 years, resigned December 31, 2014.
- Charlotte Riddick, served as general registrar for 23 years, 1971 to June 6, 1994.[6]
- Jamie Virostko, Acting Deputy Registrar[7]
Officer of Election
An Officer of Election is a person appointed by an Electoral Board to serve at a polling place for any election pursuant to Virginia Election Laws. The Electoral Board, when appointing Officers of Election, must ask each officer which party he will agree to represent: Democrat or Republican. The officer is not required to be a member of either party.
Training
All Officers of Election receive training prior to the election. Each officer receives written Election Day Guidelines.
Compensation
Cellphone controversy
The Daily Progress reported in August 2014 that former member Joan Schatzman had turned over records that indicated former board member Stephanie Commander continued to use a cellphone paid for by the city more than three years after leaving service for a total of $2,530. [8]
Stephanie Commander and Sheri Iachetta were both charged with felonies on September 15, 2014. [9]
Events
- In November 2016, 133 Virginia localities reported to Virginia Department of Elections.[10]
- The general registrar shall notify the governing body whenever the number of voters who voted in a precinct in an election for President of the United States exceeds 4,000. Within six months of receiving the notice, the governing body shall proceed to revise the precinct boundaries, and any newly established or redrawn precinct shall have no more than 5,000 registered voters.[11]
- In May 2019, the Electoral Board for the City of Charlottesville was is in the process of appointing a General Registrar; the 4-year term of office to begin on July 1, 2019.[12] The Statewide and Local 2019 election will be held on November 5th.
- June 4, 2019 – At the Electoral Board meeting, in accordance with the directives in the Code of Virginia Anne Hemenway, Chair announced that a closed meeting would be held for the purpose of interviewing candidates for the position of General Registrar for the City of Charlottesville. The position currently held by Rosanna Bencoach.
SB 1395 Discrimination; prohibited in voting and elections administration, etc.
Amendments S.B. 1395 and H.B. 1890 prohibit state and local policy from denying or restricting anyone the right to vote because of their race, color or language they speak. The bill empowers the attorney general’s office to sue anyone suspected of violating election laws in a discriminatory manner, with civil penalties of up to $50,000 for a first violation and up to $100,000 for repeat offenses.[13]
References
- ↑ https://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=66037
- ↑ https://www.nbc29.com/story/40722937/melissa-morton-sworn-in-as-charlottesvilles-new-registrar
- ↑ https://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=66037
- ↑ https://www.nbc29.com/story/40722937/melissa-morton-sworn-in-as-charlottesvilles-new-registrar
- ↑ Web. Charlottesville's voter registrar won’t seek reappointment, Nolan Stout, The Daily Progress, April 3, 2019, retrieved June 24, 2019.
- ↑ http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+ful+HJ927ER
- ↑ https://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=66037
- ↑ Web. Charlottesville paid cellphone bill of ex-official for 3 years, K. Burnell Evans, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, August 22, 2014, retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ↑ Web. Iachetta, Commander Arrested In Cell Phone Investigation - See more at: http://literockz951.com/news/064460-iachetta-commander-arrested-in-cell-phone-investigation/#sthash.PrHo5Tp8.dpuf, Charlottesville Police Department, Press Release, LiteRock Z95.1, September 17, 2014, retrieved September 17, 2014.
- ↑ https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/registration-statistics/2016/11/LocalityStatistics.csv
- ↑ https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter3/section24.2-307/
- ↑ http://www.charlottesville.org/departments-and-services/departments-h-z/voter-registration-and-elections
- ↑ Web. Gov. Northam approves Voting Rights Act, making Virginia the first state to approve its own, RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC), Posted: Mar 31, 2021 / 01:42 PM EDT / Updated: Mar 31, 2021 / 01:42 PM EDT, retrieved April 3, 2021.