24.2-713 - Emergency authority of the Secretary of the State Board of Elections.
§ 24.2-713. Emergency authority of the Secretary of the State Board ofElections.
The provisions of this section shall apply in the case of an emergency thatwill not allow sufficient time for the distribution and handling of absenteeballot applications and absentee ballots, in accordance with the proceduresof this title, for qualified voters who are unable to vote in person becauseof the emergency. The Secretary of the State Board of Elections shall havethe authority to designate alternative methods and procedures to handle suchapplications and ballots. Nothing in this section shall authorize thecounting of any absentee ballot returned after the polls have closed. Forpurposes of this section, "an emergency" shall mean (i) any emergencydeclared by the Governor pursuant to Chapter 3.2 (§ 44-146.13 et seq.) ofTitle 44, (ii) any emergency declared by the President of the United Statesor the governor of another state pursuant to law and confirmed by theGovernor by the executive order as an emergency for the purposes of thissection, or (iii) any public emergency that interferes with the electoralprocess or the opportunity for qualified voters to exercise their right tovote as determined by the Secretary of the State Board of Elections.
(1994, c. 240; 2002, cc. 785, 819.)