                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

TRANSACTION OF PUBLIC BUSINESS OTHER THAN BY VOTES AT MEETINGS PROHIBITED (§
2.2-3710)

A. Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, no vote of any kind of the
membership, or any part thereof, of any public body shall be taken to authorize
the transaction of any public business, other than a vote taken at a meeting
conducted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. No public body
shall vote by secret or written ballot, and unless expressly provided by this
chapter, no public body shall vote by telephone or other electronic
communication means.

B. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing contained herein shall be construed to
prohibit (i) separately contacting the membership, or any part thereof, of any
public body for the purpose of ascertaining a member&#8217;s position with
respect to the transaction of public business, whether such contact is done in
person, by telephone or by electronic communication, provided the contact is
done on a basis that does not constitute a meeting as defined in this chapter or
(ii) the House of Delegates or the Senate of Virginia from adopting rules
relating to the casting of votes by members of standing committees. Nothing in
this subsection shall operate to exclude any public record from the provisions
of this chapter.

HISTORY: 1987, c. 71, § 2.1-343.2; 1999, cc. 703, 726; 2000, c. 932; 2001, cc.
710, 844; 2002, c. 491.