April 23, 2009
For More Information:
Nancy Rodrigues
Secretary of the State Board of Elections
(804)864-8903
~Diverse Group Will Focus on Residency Requirements for Virginia Voters ~
The State Board of Elections has unanimously voted to create a task force focused on residency requirement definitions for voters in the Commonwealth. The task force is a result of legislation passed by the General Assembly to ensure the uniform application of the law for determining a person’s residence.
The task force will be led by SBE Chair Jean Cunningham, and will include 12 members representing local registrars, electoral boards and a number of different voter advocacy groups. “It will provide an opportunity for voter registration groups to work hand in hand with those responsible for administering elections in Virginia to better the election process,” Cunningham said of the task force.
Student registrations created a stir in 2008 when students used dorm addresses as a permanent residence in order to vote in a particular locality. Conflicting opinions across the Commonwealth led to legislation and this recent step by the State Board of Elections.
The members of the group are: chair- the Honorable Jean Cunningham, Virginia State Board of Elections, three representatives from the Virginia Electoral Board Association, three representatives from the Voter Registrars Association of Virginia, one representative from Virginia 21, one representative from the League of Women Voters, one representative from ACLU, one representative from the Democratic Party of Virginia, one representative from the Republican Party of Virginia, one representative from Lawyers for Civil Rights, and one representative from the military.
The State Board of Elections is interested in hearing from any other interested organizations. For more information, visit the SBE website at www.sbe.virginia.gov or contact Ryan Enright via email at ryan.enright@sbe.virginia.gov.
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Individuals selected for the task force thus far include:
Cynthia Schappelka, Electoral Board Vice Chair, Montgomery Co.
Marty D. Caldwell, Electoral Board Vice Chair, Orange Co.
Suzanne Obenshain, Electoral Board Secretary, Harrisonburg City
Tracy Howard, Radford City General Registrar
Win Sowder, Williamsburg City General Registrar
Joyce S. Braithwaite, Winchester City General Registrar
Olga Hernandez, President, Virginia League of Women Voters
Steven Jones, Virginia21
Peggy Sanner, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
The remaining positions will be filled as soon as possible.
