                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY REQUIRED OF INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES (§ 24.2-505)

A. Any person, other than a candidate for a party nomination or a party nominee,
who intends to be a candidate for any office to be elected by the qualified
voters of the Commonwealth at large or of a congressional district shall file a
declaration of candidacy with the State Board, on a form prescribed by the
Board, designating the office for which he is a candidate. The written
declaration shall be attested by two witnesses who are qualified voters of the
Commonwealth or of the congressional district, or acknowledged before some
officer authorized to take acknowledgements to deeds. The declaration shall be
signed by the candidate, but if he is incapable of writing his proper signature
then some mark adopted by him as his signature shall be acknowledged before some
officer authorized to take acknowledgments to deeds.
			The State Board shall notify the respective secretaries of the appropriate
electoral boards of the qualified candidates who have so filed.

B. Any person, other than a candidate for a party nomination or party nominee,
who intends to be a candidate for election to the General Assembly shall file a
declaration of candidacy with the general registrar of the county or city where
he resides. The declaration shall be in all respects the same as that required
to be given to the State Board by statewide and congressional district
candidates. The general registrar shall, within three days after receiving the
declaration, (i) deliver it in person or transmit it by certified mail, along
with the petitions required by &#xA7; 24.2-506 or copies thereof, to the general
registrars of the other counties or cities, if any, in the legislative district
for delivery to the secretaries of the electoral boards and (ii) deliver the
declaration and such petitions to the secretary of his electoral board. He shall
transmit the names of the candidates who have filed with him to the State Board
immediately after the filing deadline.

C. Any person, other than a candidate for a party nomination or party nominee,
who intends to be a candidate at any election for any other office shall file a
declaration of candidacy with the general registrar of the county or city where
he resides. The declaration shall be in all respects the same as that required
to be given to the State Board by statewide and congressional district
candidates. The general registrar shall, within three days after receiving the
declaration, deliver it in person or transmit it by certified mail, along with
the petitions required by &#xA7; 24.2-506 or copies thereof, to the secretaries
of the electoral boards of the counties or cities whose electors vote for the
office. He shall transmit the names of the candidates who have filed with him to
the State Board immediately after the filing deadline.

D. If requested in writing by a candidate filing pursuant to subsection B or C,
the secretary of the electoral board shall notify him of any irregularity in the
declaration or petitions which can be corrected prior to the filing deadline.

HISTORY: Code 1950, §§ 24-130, 24-131, 24-134.1, 24-135; 1958, c. 605; 1960,
c. 427; 1962, c. 536; 1964, cc. 540, 541; 1970, c. 462, § 24.1-166; 1971, Ex.
Sess., cc. 119, 247; 1972, c. 620; 1973, c. 30; 1974, c. 428; 1975, c. 515;
1976, c. 616; 1978, c. 778; 1981, c. 425; 1983, c. 461; 1984, c. 480; 1991, c.
137; 1993, c. 641; 1996, c. 270.