The Department of Elections promotes and supports secure, accurate, fair and open elections for the citizens of the Commonwealth.

The Department of Elections envisions a highly modern, efficient and professional electoral process that is secure, trustworthy and uniform at all levels and engages Virginians in exercising their right to vote.

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Section 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia lays out the statutory responsibilities of the Department of Elections (ELECT). The Department is to supervise and coordinate the work of the county and city electoral boards and of the registrars to promote and support accurate, fair, open and secure elections for the citizens of the Commonwealth. In addition, the Department is charged with ensuring “that the members of the electoral boards and general registrars are properly trained to carry out their duties” and for setting “the training standards for the officers of election to be fulfilled by the local electoral boards and general registrars.” The Department of Elections is either partly or fully responsible for many additional functions, including compliance with federal mandates on elections including the operation and maintenance of an electronic statewide voter registration system, voter registration list maintenance activities, implementation of state legislation involving elections, and administering the reimbursement process for general registrar and electoral board salaries.

ELECT sets and upholds the standards and practices that provide voters with the highest level of confidence that elections in Virginia are administered in an accurate, fair, open and secure manner. Integrity of the vote, voter confidence and easy access to the electoral processes are key elements to ensuring that every eligible citizen has an opportunity to vote and to have that vote counted.

The Department's main areas of focus are election security, proper administration of elections, and focusing efforts to secure and stabilize our voter registration database, while also actively procuring a replacement system to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness which will result in cost-savings and increased customer service experiences.

Specifically, the Department's goals include the following:

• Continue to strengthen the security posture of the Commonwealth's election information systems.


• Improve voter experience in the election process.

Continuous changes in federal and state laws relating to absentee voting, voter registration, election administration and campaign finance required the development of an agile IT environment responsive to the wide variety of business problems faced by the agency. ELECT continues to support its current IT platforms while actively working to procure a new statewide voter registration system.

Technology is taking an increasingly important role in administering elections. ELECT is investing resources to train new and existing staff, as well as general registrars, on new technology and information security requirements in election administration.

Currently contract employees provide multiple services to ELECT to supplement ELECT employees for redistricting, VERIS maintenance and development of the new SVRS.

The Department of Elections office occupies the 1st and part of the 8th floor of the Washington Building located in Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia.  Agency training space and the board room are located in the basement of the Washington Building. All space is leased from the Department of General Services. The agency anticipates no change in the leased space requirements.

The Department of Election's (ELECT) main impediments to achieving its goals include the difficulty in recruiting and retaining talent in the area of IT and Elections expertise; continuous threats to information security infrastructure, and external groups causing confusion among voters with inaccurate information about elections.

Starting with the 2018 – 2020 biennium, the Department of Elections became a 100 percent General Funded agency. ELECT's budget serves as a pass-through to provide financial assistance to local governments for general registrars’ salaries and local electoral boards’ compensation resulting in a consumption of 38 percent of these funds. The remaining 62 percent of ELECT's budget supports the operation of the agency, of which 52 percent of this amount supports personnel cost and 32 percent is related to system support for voter systems such as the Virginia Election and Registration Information System (VERIS). The remaining budget supports day-to-day operations such as funding for rent, training, office supplies, and other miscellaneous costs.

Prior to the 2018 – 2020 biennium, ELECT operations were also supported with HAVA funds (Help America Vote Act of 2002) that were appropriated by Congress in 2002 to assist with the implementation of the Help America Vote Act.  In March 2018, Congress appropriated additional HAVA funding to improve the administration of elections to enhance technology and make certain election security improvements. The 2018 HAVA Election Security Grant was the first new appropriations for HAVA since FY2010. Additional HAVA funds were awarded in 2020 and 2022. These additional resources are designated for improving election systems and security. Virginia is using this funding toward the development of the new Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) to replace VERIS.

The agency collects revenue through the following sources:

            • Interest collected through the Treasury of Virginia on the principal amount of the federal grant funds distributed through the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds;

            • State primary fees paid by candidates participating in primaries for U.S. Congress or statewide offices;

            • The sale of voter registration and voter history data;

            • Revenue for reasonable expenses for complying with public requests for voter registration data and  costs associated with the numerous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests the agency receives on an annual basis; and

           • Fees collected from voter equipment vendors to recoup costs associated with the certification process.

The 2020 Census reported Virginia’s population at 8.6 million people, an increase of 7.9% since the 2010 Census. Most experts’ project Virginia will continue to grow, and the Commonwealth is expected to add one million residents per decade over the next few decades. As Virginia grows, its voter rolls will also continue to swell.  As of August 2022, Virginia has 6.04 million registered voters.  As Virginia adds voters, this will require the establishment of additional (and/or larger) precincts and polling places which require additional pieces of voting equipment, more staff and generally more resources. It is important that policymakers take into account the growth of the Commonwealth when making decisions regarding the funding of elections.

Additionally, the growth occurring in Virginia is not happening in a geographically uniform manner. Certain parts of Virginia are losing or have stagnant populations and other parts, particularly in Northern Virginia, have high growth in certain areas that poses considerable difficulties for local election officials in ensuring enough available voting equipment and adequate polling place facilities for voters. In areas with population loss, certain adjustments in election administration practices need to be made to maximize a shrinking or stagnant population and tax base that ultimately impacts localities' level of funding.

In addition, the voter rolls will not grow at uniform pace throughout the year or over a four-year election cycle.  Voter registration submissions increase significantly as the November general election nears, and spike during presidential election years.

Another important statistic to note is voter turnout data:

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  Voter turnout has historically been relatively consistent in the Commonwealth based on a four-year election cycle. The presidential election every four years sees turnouts generally around 71% to 72% with no greater deviation of 6% in turnout from the highest to the lowest turnout presidential elections (2020 was 75%). Historically, the gubernatorial election has a turnout of approximately 44%; however in 2021, turnout jumped to 54%.  Non-presidential federal election years have a similar turnout of approximately 45% from year to year, varying somewhat depending on whether a U.S. Senate seat is up for reelection. The 2022 election will provide more data to help inform whether or not Virginia is experiencing new trends in the area of voter turnout.

  
  

The addition of 45 days of early voting in 2020 may have contributed to the growth in voter turnout; however early voting has also required local registrars to make increased investments in printing, technology and voting equipment in order to conduct 46 election days as opposed to one. While some of these expenses were covered by federal funds, the need for this higher operational level will continue into the future.

Finally, it is imperative to note that due to increased public focus on election integrity, security, and administration processes, the number of bills which affect election administration and the Department is increasing.  The public, members of the General Assembly, and other interested parties rely on ELECT to provide thorough analyses of not only the potential impact on election administration and related processes, but also the financial impact of proposed legislation in a very small time window. ELECT is working to redeploy existing resources to its policy department to address these current needs.

It is anticipated that the number of voters in Virginia will continue to grow at a rate of 7-8% per decade in line with the Commonwealth's population growth.

• Maintain and improve the Virginia Election and Registration Information System (VERIS), Virginia’s electronic statewide voter registration and election system, used by ELECT and all localities to administer the voter registration and election processes

• Maintain the security of the personal identifying information of the 6.0 million voters stored in VERIS

• Training, policy guidance, technical support and other assistance to county and city election officials to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations

• Process voter list requests, payments and distribution to candidates, courts, nonprofit organizations and other authorized recipients

• Collection, aggregation and publication of election results

• Establishment and supervision of voting system technology and security standards

• Testing, certification, and approval of new voting equipment systems

• Collection, review and maintenance of candidate ballot access forms and candidate ballot access certification services

• Ballot proofing services

• Certification of results of elections for federal and state offices

• Ballot referendum services

• Assistance to political action committees, referendum committees, political parties and contributors with campaign finance electronic filing requirements

• Administration of campaign finance and disclaimer penalties including notification and collection

• Maintenance and improvements to COMET, the campaign finance reporting software

• Proposal, assistance and drafting of legislation, including providing analysis of proposed bills and drafting fiscal impact statements for proposed bills

• Voter registration form development and distribution

• Train private citizens and groups involved in voter registration activities

• Respond to hundreds of FOIA requests for thousands of records, documents and other information

• Administration of salary reimbursements for salaries owed by the Commonwealth to general registrars and local electoral boards

• Administration of reimbursements for presidential primary expenses incurred by localities

• Perform voter registration list maintenance activities

• Administration and collection of primary fees from primary candidates for statewide office

• Voter education and outreach public relations programs

The Department of Elections (ELECT) implemented major legislatively-mandated changes to election administration in 2020 and 2021, including 45 days of no excuse early voting for all elections, changes to voter ID requirements, the expansion of absentee ballot dropoff locations and the initiation of a permanent absentee voter list.  In 2022, ELECT has continued to implement several pieces of 2020 legislation with delayed enactment, including Same Day Registration and Pre-Registration of 16 Year Olds, as well as new 2022 legislation to increase notifcation of deceased voters as part of list maintenance and the enhanced reporting of election results to include absentee ballots by precint.

In 2022, ELECT implemented the Supreme Court ordered changes to congressional, state and local election districts as a result of redistricting, following the 2020 Census.  ELECT worked in partnership with 133 localities' administrators, GIS experts and general registrars to ensure that accurate maps were uploaded to VERIS and voters were notified of the changes to their districts and precincts, if applicable.

The Department recognizes the importance of continually improving both the physical and cyber security of elections in the Commonwealth.

The Department is in the process of procurement a new state voter registration system (SVRS) to replace its current VERIS, a fifteen year old system. The new SVRS will provide improved security and reliability.

• Issuance of a RFP


• Award of a contract

• Project initiation and system implementation

The Department has developed a partnership with the localities to provide security requirements and assistance through development of Locality Election Security Standards (LESS) and the Cyber Navigator Program.

• Approval of Locality Security Standards

• Development and operation of a Cyber Navigator Program

The Department will provide voters with accurate election information via a user-friendly website and improve transparency in the reporting of election results.

The General Assembly passed legislation in 2022 that requires the Department to report absentee voting results by precinct instead of within a central absentee precinct.

• Increase the amount of election night reporting statistics made available to the public.

The Department will redesign its website to make navigation easier and more efficient for the public.

• Develop a redesign project plan and obtain resources to implement and maintain the site.

This service area provides guidance and promotes uniformity in electoral proceedings by conducting research and providing procedural guidance to obtain uniformity in local election officials’ practices and proceedings. The department is responsible for analyzing the legal requirements for elections in Virginia and developing strategies to monitor compliance with those requirements, and providing training for election officials and agency staff.



Activities include:



• Provide guidance, advice, and reference materials to SBE, general registrars, electoral boards, citizens, and voters to ensure uniformity and legality in the administration and implementation of federal and state election laws.

• Develop and draft proposed legislation and regulations to accomplish agency objectives.

• Identify and provide analysis of proposed federal and state legislation and regulations, ensuring the timely and proper implementation of enacted legislation and regulations.

• Provide guidance, advice and support to SBE, general registrars, electoral boards, citizens and voters and ensures compliance with state and federal laws related to polling place accessibility.

• Coordinate with Attorney General’s office to assure compliance with federal and state laws.

• Provide research support to Courts, Office of Attorney General, Division of Legislative Services and other agencies on federal election laws, Federal Election Assistance Commission guidance documents, historical State Board policies and practices, court cases surrounding elections, and Attorney General's opinions pertaining to the electoral practices.

• Catalog, maintain and update at least annually all official guidance documents and publications, update records accessible through the Registrar of Regulations and the Library of Virginia.

• Provide assistance in development of all forms and documents prescribed by State Board to ensure legality and compliance with federal and state election laws.

• Coordinate and conduct training of local county and city electoral boards, general registrars, and their election staff.

• Develop and implement voter education programs to educate voters on voting procedures, voting rights and voting technology.

• Respond to inquiries from the media and ensure the accuracy of information presented to citizens.

• Prepare media releases to present relevant information to the general public and election officials.

 

This service area assures the legality, accuracy, fairness, transparency and security of elections by issuing policy statements, developing Best Practices Guidelines and establishing statewide standards in election practices, voter registration, campaign finance and, voting systems technology and training for election officials. This service area also provides state mandated training of election officials.

• Authority §24.2-100 to 24.2-123


• §24.2-451 to 24.2-470

Establish statewide standards for voting systems specifications, voting technology and, voting systems security



Perform statewide voting systems certification services for all voting systems used in Virginia elections



Establish statewide polling place accessibility standards



Educate voters on voting procedures, voting technology and voting rights



Coordinates and conduct training of local county/city electoral boards on the proper conduct of elections



Coordinate and conduct training of local general registrars on voter registration procedures and practices



Ensures individuals with disabilities have the same access and opportunity for participation in the election process as does other voters and maintain statewide polling place accessibility standards.



Provide research services on federal election laws, Federal Election Assistance Commission guidance documents, historical State Board policies and practices, court cases surrounding elections , and Attorney General's opinions pertaining to the electoral practices.



Propose and draft legislation and provide information and advise agency staff on matters concerning legislation



Ensure compliance with state laws (e.g. preclearance) and court order requirements.



Ensure individuals with limited proficiency in English have the same access and opportunity for participation in the election process as other voters do.

 

 ELECT will need funding from the state's general fund to maintain the improvements and addition services mandated by HAVA. There is anticipate increase cost related to printing as Forms are printed in multiple languages.

This service area provides for the continuing operation and maintenance of the computerized statewide voter registration and election management system. The statewide system contains voter registration records for all six million voters registered in the Commonwealth and interacts with data for the purposes of maintaining an accurate voter registration list from the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of State Police, Secretary of the Commonwealth, the Department of Health and the Social Security Administration. The system also manages the candidates, referendums and election results for all elections in the Commonwealth.

This statewide system is used by each of the 133 localities in the Commonwealth to add, update and remove voter registration and absentee voting records. In addition, voters can access the data from the system to review and update their own record through online tools provided by the Department of Elections.

As part of its responsibility to operate and maintain this service, the Department of Elections:

1. 
   

   Requires the local county and city general registrars enter the names of all registered voters into the statewide voter registration system and, to change or correct registration records as necessary.

   
   


2. 
   

   Requires county and city general registrars to perform regular maintenance of the voter registration records to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter records. Maintenance activities include cancelling of registered voters records of any voter who (i) is deceased, (ii) is no longer qualified to vote in the county or city where he is registered due to relocation of his/her residence, (iii) has been convicted of a felony, (iv) has been adjudicated incapacitated, or (v) is otherwise no longer qualified to vote as may be provided by law. ELECT works with external agencies and partners to identify voters who have records needing review relating to these maintenance activities.

   
   


3. 
   

   Retains on the system for four years a separate record for registered voters whose names have been cancelled, with the reason for cancellation. A separate record for information received regarding deaths, felony convictions, and adjudications of incapacity pursuant to §§ 24.2-408 through 24.2- 410 is retain on the system permanently.

   
   


4. 
   

   Provides a means through the statewide voter registration and election management system for local general registrars to generate pollbooks, voter notices and other routine correspondence with voters to help ensure uniformity and integrity of elections.

   
   


5. 
   

   Provides a means through the statewide voter registration and election management system for local general registrars to report election results and turnout information for dissemination to the general public.

   
   


6. 
   

   Provides statistical reports each month of its website regarding voter registration activity.

   
   


7. 
   

   Provides an online method for individuals to request an absentee ballot, to register to vote and view or update their voter record.

   
   


8. 
   

   Provides an online system to report election results for all elections in the Commonwealth.

   
   

This service area is critical to the agency's mission to promote and support accurate, fair, open and secure elections for the citizens of the Commonwealth. By having a centralized database of all voter registration records in the state, this service area assists in ensuring uniformity and integrity in the voter registration processes. During an election season, this activity provides the poll books and other precinct lists to ensure that all properly registered voters have the opportunity to vote in their respective precinct and district. This activity also provides for the timely and accurate reporting of election results for the general public.

• Authority - §24.2-408 through 24.2-410

Registered voter lists and corresponding voter history data

Generation of uniform correspondence for voters when an action is taken on a voter's record (e.g.: voter notices, cancellation notice, denial notice, etc.)

Identification of voter records with inaccurate or incomplete information for further review by local officials

Military and overseas citizens registration and absentee voting services

Reports of election results by precinct

Registration and voting statistics

Online voter registration services

Prior to 2007, the cost to operate and maintain the centralized voter registration system was funded exclusively with state general funds. In 2007, to meet the mandates of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the State Board of Elections deployed a new statewide voter registration system to meet not only state requirements but, also the requirements of the federally mandated Help America Vote Act. HAVA funds, along with state matching funds have been allocated and will be used to procure and implement a new state voter registration system.

Due to the complexity of IT systems and platform that VERIS was developed on, operation and maintenance cost have significantly increased. This trend is expected to continue until the new SVRS comes on-line. The funding received under HAVA for this activity is an inconsistent grant that will not fully cover the development cost. Therefore, State's general funds will be used to fund the on-going maintenance and support cost of the statewide voter registration system.

This service area administers the campaign finance disclosure laws in Virginia. It provides information to the public of the source and use of money in political campaigns. Public disclosure activities are supported by the training of political campaign organizations in the proper application of Virginia campaign finance laws and the proper reporting of campaign finance activities and transactions.

This service area directly aligns with ELECT's mission to promote and support accurate, fair, open and secure elections for the citizens of the Commonwealth by keeping the public informed of the financing of campaigns.

• Authority §24.2-945 to 24.2-953.5


• §24.2-1000 to 24.2-1019

Filing requirements assistance services - provide support to filers in the accurate and timely filing of disclosure reports. Also assist filers in defining the requirements and content of the reports.



Filing software services - provide filing system (known as COMET) and approve standards for the preparation and transmittal by electronic means of the reports of contributions and expenditures from 3rd party software vendors software.



Public disclosure services – publish filed reports to the website 



Public information services – provide general information to the public about disclosure activities



Disclosure Training Services - provide training to county and city election officials on how to administer the campaign finance laws for local county/city candidates



Compliance Training Services - provide training to candidates and political committee treasurers in disclosure and reporting requirements

Campaign finance disclosure services are totally funded from the state’s general fund. All financial disclosure reports filed with ELECT by General Assembly candidates, candidates for statewide offices (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General), and political committees are timely published to the internet for public consumption. ELECT maintains a computer based campaign finance disclosure database to assist in this effort. The cost incurred in this service area supports campaign finance disclosure, compliance and enforcement activities.

This service area provides voter education services to Virginians, provides public information, and develops and executes communication strategies for the agency.



Activities Include:

• Develop and implement voter education programs to educate voters on voting procedures, voting rights and voting technology.


• Respond to inquiries from the media.


• Prepare media releases to present relevant information to the general public and election officials.


• Manage information disseminated on the Department's website; ensure that the website navigation is functional.

This service area aligns with the agency mission by promoting and supporting accurate, fair, open and secure elections in the Commonwealth. 

• §24.2-451 to 24.2-470


• §24.2-700 to 24.2-713

Voter Registration Drive Services



Educate voters on absentee voting procedures, absentee voting technology and absentee voting rights



Coordinate with federal and state partners to ensure cohesive response for all election events. 

Coordinate public information through social media and website resources.

This service area is 100 percent funded by the state's general fund. In FY2023 one-time funding is included in the budget for redistricting printing $2.2 million.

This service area implements the agency's responsibiity to provide support staff to the State Board of Elections, support through the timely distribution of salary reimbursements to the localities, as well as HR and payroll support to the Department of Elections agency staff. This service area establishes a budget for the Department of Elections, is responsible for fiscal operations, and maintaining standards established by state audit requirements.

This service area directly aligns with the agency mission to promote and support accurate, fair, open and secure elections for the citizens of the Commonwealth by ensuring that all agency functional service areas that deliver direct services have the resources needed.

This service area contains a variety of administrative and support services functions that includes:

• Procurement services


• General administration of agency mission activities


• Strategic planning functions


• Financial services and sound fiscal management through accounting and budgeting


• Human resources services to include recruitment ,compensation and  employee relations 


• Payroll Services


• Sound fiscal management through budgeting and expense monitoring


• Grants management


• Identify and execute all payments required by the Acts of the General Assembly


• Ensure timely submission of financial statement directive materials, compliance with fiscal regulations and stewardship over Commonwealth assets

This service area is funded by the state's general fund and limited federal grants.

This service area provides direct financial assistance to all Virginia counties and cities for local general registrars compensation

By providing financial assistance to local governments, this service area aligns with the agency mission to promote and support accurate, fair, open and secure elections in the Commonwealth and helps to defray the costs of administering elections on the local level.

Authority - §24.2-111

Direct Financial assistance to local governing bodies through reimbursement of General Registrar Salaries

Compute and set authorized salaries of county and city General Registrar

Communicate authorized salary information to local county and city government fiscal and payroll offices

This service is funded by the state's general fund to reimburse localities for General Registrar salaries.

The Code of Virginia (§ 24.2-108 and § 24.2-111) mandates the governing body of each county or city to pay compensation to their general registrar and electoral board members in accordance with the compensation expense plan established in the Appropriations Act. Annually, the Department of Elections reimburses local governments for the authorized amounts paid for salary to the general registrar and compensation paid to the local electoral board members. The reimbursements do not include local supplements, mileage and expenses of the general registrar or local electoral board.

This service area provides direct financial assistance, in the form of reimbursements, to counties and cities for local electoral board compensation.

By providing direct financial assistance to local county and city governments to defray election administration costs, this service area aligns with the agency mission by promoting and supporting accurate, fair, open and secure elections in the Commonwealth.

Authority - Current Acts of Assembly

Direct financial assistance to local county and city governments for cost of local electoral board compensation



Compute and set authorized salaries of county and city electoral board members



Communicate authorized salary information to local county and city government fiscal and payroll offices

Local electoral board compensation funded from the state's general fund.

The Code of Virginia (§ 24.2-108 and § 24.2-111) mandates the governing body of each county or city to pay compensation to their general registrar and electoral board members in accordance with the compensation expense plan established in the Appropriations Act. Annually, the Department of Elections reimburses local governments for the authorized amounts paid for salary to the general registrar and compensation paid to the local electoral board members. The reimbursements do not include local supplements, mileage and expenses of the general registrar or local electoral board.