Source: Ballot Access News

The Washington Post has this article about Bill Bolling, Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor. He was elected as a Republican in 2009 and, as the article describes, he is thinking seriously about running for Governor this year as an independent. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.

Although minor party or independent candidates for Governor have been elected since Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling has said he will announce on March 14 whether to run as an independent candidate for Governor of Virginia this year. Meanwhile, the Independent Green Party is already circulating an independent petition with Bolling’s name on it, so that if he does run, he will have the advantage of the signatures collected by the party. Here is the party’s web page for the “Draft” effort, Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

Virginia holds its gubernatorial election on November 5, 2013. It is assumed that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be the Republican nominee and that Terry McAuliffe, former chair of the Democratic national committee, will be the Democratic nominee. The state’s Lieutenant Governor, Bill Bolling, elected as a Republican in 2009, has hinted he will be an independent “centrist” candidate for Governor this year. Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On February 19, the Virginia House passed SB 690, which cuts the number of signatures for all presidential petitions (both presidential primary, and general election petitions) from 10,000 signatures to 5,000 signatures. The bill had already passed the Senate, so now it goes to the Governor. The vote was unanimous. Thanks to Kevin Hayes for this news. This news will help to bolster the North Carolina ballot access Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On February 15, two Virginia ballot access improvements made headway.

SB 1049, which says that inactive voters may sign candidate petitions, passed the House Privileges and Elections Committee. The bill had already passed the Senate. The bill also sets up appeal procedures when the candidate is told his or her petition lacks enough valid signatures. Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

The Virginia bill to legalize out-of-state circulators, HB 1898, has died because it never moved and the deadline for bills to advance from their house of origin has now passed. Meanwhile, the Fourth Circuit will hear arguments over the residency requirement on Wednesday, March 20. The case is Libertarian Party of Virginia v Judd, 12-1996.

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Source: Ballot Access News

On January 28, the Virginia Senate passed SB 690 by a vote of 23-17. This is the bill that lowers the number of signatures for presidential candidates (both presidential primary candidates, and general election candidates) from 10,000 signatures to 5,000. Republicans overwhelmingly backed the bill, by 17-3. Democrats were mostly opposed; six Democrats voted for the bill but fourteen voted against it.

The six Democrats who voted for the bill were these Senators: Charles Colgan, Creigh Deeds, Adam Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

This Washington Post article about Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican, says that he wants the legislature to ease ballot access. One paragraph says that he particularly endorses four particular bills. The article only identifies the bills by their sponsor, but it appears these are the four bills he favors: (1) HB 2213, by Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey (D-Henrico), which lowers all statewide petitions for all office, whether primary or general, from 10,000 to 5,000 signatures and creates an Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On January 23, the Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee passed SB 690 by a vote of 10-5. This is the bill that eases the petition requirement for all presidential candidates, whether they are running in a presidential primary, or are petitioning to get on the November ballot. It cuts the number of signatures from 10,000 to 5,000.

The eight Republicans on the Committee supported the bill by a margin of 7-1. The Democrats on the Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On January 18, a subcommittee of the Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee passed SB 690 by 4-2. The bill lowers the number of signatures for presidential candidates (both in presidential primaries and in the general election) from 10,000 signatures to 5,000 signatures. Now it goes to the full committee.

The full committee on the same day defeated SB 964, which would have changed the poll-closing hour Read more »