{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-104.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-104.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-104.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-104.1.html"}],"law_id":55567,"edition_id":1,"section_id":55567,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-104.1","catch_line":"Civil actions by Attorney General","history":"2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 528, 533.","full_text":"A\n\nWhenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of an election law has occurred and that the rights of any voter or group of voters have been affected by such violation, the Attorney General may commence a civil action in the appropriate circuit court for appropriate relief.B\n\nIn such civil action, the court may:1\n\nAward such preventive relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order against the person responsible for a violation of this title, as is necessary to assure the full enjoyment of the rights granted by this title.2\n\nAssess a civil penalty against the respondent (i) in an amount not exceeding $50,000 for a first violation and (ii) in an amount not exceeding $100,000 for any subsequent violation. Such civil penalties are payable to the Voter Education and Outreach Fund established pursuant to § 24.2-131.3\n\nAward a prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney fees and costs.C\n\nThe court or jury may award such other relief to the aggrieved person as the court deems appropriate, including compensatory damages and punitive damages.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":203650,"text":"Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of an election law has occurred and that the rights of any voter or group of voters have been affected by such violation, the Attorney General may commence a civil action in the appropriate circuit court for appropriate relief.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":203651,"text":"In such civil action, the court may:","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"B1"},"2":{"id":203652,"text":"Award such preventive relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order against the person responsible for a violation of this title, as is necessary to assure the full enjoyment of the rights granted by this title.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"B1","prefix_anchor":"B1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"B2"},"3":{"id":203653,"text":"Assess a civil penalty against the respondent (i) in an amount not exceeding $50,000 for a first violation and (ii) in an amount not exceeding $100,000 for any subsequent violation. Such civil penalties are payable to the Voter Education and Outreach Fund established pursuant to § 24.2-131.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"B2","prefix_anchor":"B2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B1","next_prefix":"B3"},"4":{"id":203654,"text":"Award a prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney fees and costs.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"B3","prefix_anchor":"B3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B2","next_prefix":"C"},"5":{"id":203655,"text":"The court or jury may award such other relief to the aggrieved person as the court deems appropriate, including compensatory damages and punitive damages.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B3"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14296,"edition_id":1,"name":"State Board of Elections","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13929,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:38","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:38","permalink":{"id":187171,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14296,"identifier":"2","token":"24.2\/1\/2","url":"\/24.2\/1\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13929,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions and Administration","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12937,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:19","permalink":{"id":187151,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13929,"identifier":"1","token":"24.2\/1","url":"\/24.2\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12937,"edition_id":1,"name":"Elections","identifier":"24.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":187149,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12937,"identifier":"24.2","token":"24.2","url":"\/24.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":63339,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-102","catch_line":"Appointment; terms; Commissioner of Elections; prohibited activities","url":"\/24.2-102\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-102","metadata":false},{"id":79439,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-103","catch_line":"Powers and duties in general; report","url":"\/24.2-103\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-103","metadata":false},{"id":56372,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-103.1","catch_line":"Duties of Department of Elections related to redistricting","url":"\/24.2-103.1\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-103.1","metadata":false},{"id":57663,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-103.2","catch_line":"Duties of the Department of Elections related to accessible absentee voting","url":"\/24.2-103.2\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-103.2","metadata":false},{"id":64832,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-104","catch_line":"Requesting assistance for attorney for the Commonwealth; investigative committees","url":"\/24.2-104\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-104","metadata":false},{"id":55567,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-104.1","catch_line":"Civil actions by Attorney General","url":"\/24.2-104.1\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-104.1","metadata":false},{"id":79223,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-105","catch_line":"Prescribing various forms","url":"\/24.2-105\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-105","metadata":false},{"id":64105,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-105.1","catch_line":"Election and voter participation information on the Internet","url":"\/24.2-105.1\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-105.1","metadata":false},{"id":77502,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-105.2","catch_line":"Acceptance of payments","url":"\/24.2-105.2\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-105.2","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":64832,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-104","catch_line":"Requesting assistance for attorney for the Commonwealth; investigative committees","url":"\/24.2-104\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-104","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79223,"structure_id":14296,"section_number":"24.2-105","catch_line":"Prescribing various forms","url":"\/24.2-105\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-105","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-104.1\/","history_text":false,"references":[{"id":56804,"section_number":"24.2-131","catch_line":"Voter Education and Outreach Fund","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-131\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":187193,"object_type":"law","relational_id":55567,"identifier":"24.2-104.1","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-104.1","url":"\/24.2-104.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-104.1\/","token":"24.2\/1\/2\/24.2-104.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Civil actions by Attorney General","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-104.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Whenever the Attorney General<\/span> has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of an election<\/span> law<\/span> has occurred and that the rights of any voter or group of voters have been affected by such violation, the Attorney General<\/span> may commence a civil action<\/span> in the appropriate circuit<\/span> court<\/span> for appropriate relief. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> In such civil action<\/span>, the court<\/span> may: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Award such preventive relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction<\/span>, restraining order<\/span>, or other order<\/span> against the person responsible for a violation of this title, as is necessary to assure the full enjoyment of the rights granted by this title. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Assess a civil penalty<\/span> against the respondent (i) in an amount not exceeding $50,000 for a first violation and (ii) in an amount not exceeding $100,000 for any subsequent violation. Such civil penalties are payable to the Voter Education and Outreach Fund established pursuant to § 24.2-131<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Award a prevailing plaintiff<\/span> reasonable attorney fees and costs. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The court<\/span> or jury<\/span> may award such other relief to the aggrieved person as the court<\/span> deems appropriate, including compensatory damages<\/span> and punitive damages<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCIVIL ACTIONS BY ATTORNEY GENERAL (\u00a7 24.2-104.1)\n\nA. Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a\nviolation of an election law has occurred and that the rights of any voter or\ngroup of voters have been affected by such violation, the Attorney General may\ncommence a civil action in the appropriate circuit court for appropriate relief.\n\nB. In such civil action, the court may:\n\n 1. Award such preventive relief, including a permanent or temporary\n injunction, restraining order, or other order against the person responsible\n for a violation of this title, as is necessary to assure the full enjoyment of\n the rights granted by this title.\n\n 2. Assess a civil penalty against the respondent (i) in an amount not\n exceeding $50,000 for a first violation and (ii) in an amount not exceeding\n $100,000 for any subsequent violation. Such civil penalties are payable to the\n Voter Education and Outreach Fund established pursuant to § 24.2-131.\n\n 3. Award a prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney fees and costs.\n\nC. The court or jury may award such other relief to the aggrieved person as the\ncourt deems appropriate, including compensatory damages and punitive damages.\n\nHISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 528, 533.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}