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VA House Bill 55

Legislation

State: Virginia
Signed: March 28, 2024

Effective: January 01, 2025
Chapter: 166

Summary

House Bill 55 enacts new provisions for a pre-election withdrawal of candidacy and requires that a candidate withdrawal form must be notarized.  

Affects

Adds new Section 24.2-538.1 and amends Section 24.2-612.2 of the Code of Virginia.  

Changes

  1. Provides that if a candidate for nomination by a political party for a primary election who has qualified to have their name printed on the ballot submits a signed and notarized notice of intent to withdraw from the election resulting in one remaining unopposed candidate, the remaining candidate will be declared the nominee of the political party for the office sought and the primary election will be canceled. 

  1. Provides that a candidate who has qualified to have their name printed on the ballot for an election will not be deemed to have withdrawn from such election until the candidate has submitted a signed written and notarized notice declaring their intent to withdraw from the election and that notice has been received by the general registrar. 

Analysis

Previously, a candidate qualified to have their name printed on a Virginia election ballot had to submit a signed candidate withdrawal form to the general registrar to be deemed to have withdrawn from the election. House Bill 55 adds to this requirement provisions for the withdrawal of a candidate from a primary election and requires the candidate withdrawal to be notarized before being submitted to the general registrar.  

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