24.2-543 - How other groups may submit names of electors; oaths of electors.
§ 24.2-543. How other groups may submit names of electors; oaths of electors.
A group of qualified voters, not constituting a political party as defined in§ 24.2-101, may have the names of electors selected by them, including oneelector residing in each congressional district and two from the Commonwealthat large, printed upon the official ballot to be used in the election ofelectors for President and Vice President by filing a petition pursuant tothis section. The petition shall be filed with the State Board by noon of theseventy-fourth day before the presidential election. The petition shall besigned by at least 10,000 qualified voters and include signatures of at least400 qualified voters from each congressional district. The petition shall besigned by petitioners on and after January 1 of the year of the presidentialelection only and contain the residence address of each petitioner. Thesignature of each petitioner shall be witnessed by a person who is aqualified voter, or qualified to register to vote, and whose affidavit tothat effect appears on each page of the petition. The petition shall statethe names of the electors selected by the petitioners, the party name underwhich they desire the named electors to be listed on the ballot, and thenames of the candidates for President and Vice President for whom theelectors are required to vote in the Electoral College. The persons filingthe petition shall file with it a copy of a subscribed and notarized oath byeach elector stating that he will, if elected, cast his ballot for thecandidates for President and Vice President named in the petition, or as theparty may direct in the event of death, withdrawal or disqualification of theparty nominee. In order to utilize a selected party name on the ballot, thepetitioners shall have had a state central committee composed of registeredvoters from each congressional district of the Commonwealth, a party plan andbylaws, and a duly designated chairman and secretary in existence and holdingoffice for at least six months prior to filing the petition. The State Boardmay require proof that the petitioners meet these requirements beforepermitting use of a party name on the ballot. The party name shall not beidentical with or substantially similar to the name of any political partyqualifying under § 24.2-101 and then in existence.
In the event of the death or withdrawal of a candidate for President or VicePresident qualified to appear on the ballot by party name, that party maysubstitute the name of a different candidate before the State Board certifiesto the county and city electoral boards the form of the official ballots.
In the event that a group of qualified voters meets the requirements setforth in this section except that they cannot utilize a party name, theelectors selected and the candidates for President and Vice President shallbe identified and designated as "Independent" on the ballot. Substitutionof a different candidate for Vice President may be made by the candidate forPresident before the State Board certifies to the county and city electoralboards the form of the official ballot.
(Code 1950, § 24-290.3; 1952, c. 330; 1964, c. 542; 1968, c. 284; 1970, c.462, § 24.1-159; 1982, c. 650; 1984, c. 480; 1993, c. 641; 1994, c. 149;1998, cc. 152, 246; 2000, cc. 232, 252; 2001, c. 630; 2003, c. 477.)