24.2-505 - Declaration of candidacy required of independent candidates.
§ 24.2-505. Declaration of candidacy required of independent candidates.
A. Any person, other than a candidate for a party nomination or a partynominee, who intends to be a candidate for any office to be elected by thequalified voters of the Commonwealth at large or of a congressional districtshall file a declaration of candidacy with the State Board, on a formprescribed by the Board, designating the office for which he is a candidate.The written declaration shall be attested by two witnesses who are qualifiedvoters of the Commonwealth or of the congressional district, or acknowledgedbefore some officer authorized to take acknowledgements to deeds. Thedeclaration shall be signed by the candidate, but if he is incapable ofwriting his proper signature then some mark adopted by him as his signatureshall be acknowledged before some officer authorized to take acknowledgmentsto deeds.
The State Board shall notify the respective secretaries of the appropriateelectoral boards of the qualified candidates who have so filed.
B. Any person, other than a candidate for a party nomination or partynominee, who intends to be a candidate for election to the General Assemblyshall file a declaration of candidacy with the general registrar of thecounty or city where he resides. The declaration shall be in all respects thesame as that required to be given to the State Board by statewide andcongressional district candidates. The general registrar shall, within threedays after receiving the declaration, (i) deliver it in person or transmit itby certified mail, along with the petitions required by § 24.2-506 or copiesthereof, to the general registrars of the other counties or cities, if any,in the legislative district for delivery to the secretaries of the electoralboards and (ii) deliver the declaration and such petitions to the secretaryof his electoral board. He shall transmit the names of the candidates whohave filed with him to the State Board immediately after the filing deadline.
C. Any person, other than a candidate for a party nomination or partynominee, who intends to be a candidate at any election for any other officeshall file a declaration of candidacy with the general registrar of thecounty or city where he resides. The declaration shall be in all respects thesame as that required to be given to the State Board by statewide andcongressional district candidates. The general registrar shall, within threedays after receiving the declaration, deliver it in person or transmit it bycertified mail, along with the petitions required by § 24.2-506 or copiesthereof, to the secretaries of the electoral boards of the counties or citieswhose electors vote for the office. He shall transmit the names of thecandidates who have filed with him to the State Board immediately after thefiling deadline.
D. If requested in writing by a candidate filing pursuant to subsection B orC, the secretary of the electoral board shall notify him of any irregularityin the declaration or petitions which can be corrected prior to the filingdeadline.
(Code 1950, §§ 24-130, 24-131, 24-134.1, 24-135; 1958, c. 605; 1960, c. 427;1962, c. 536; 1964, cc. 540, 541; 1970, c. 462, § 24.1-166; 1971, Ex. Sess.,cc. 119, 247; 1972, c. 620; 1973, c. 30; 1974, c. 428; 1975, c. 515; 1976, c.616; 1978, c. 778; 1981, c. 425; 1983, c. 461; 1984, c. 480; 1991, c. 137;1993, c. 641; 1996, c. 270.)