                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

VOTING BY PAPER BALLOT; VOTING FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS; WRITE-IN VOTES (§
24.2-644)

A. The qualified voter shall take the official paper ballot and enter the voting
booth. After entering the voting booth, the qualified voter shall mark the
ballot in accordance with the instructions for the type of ballot, for each
candidate for whom he wishes to vote, leaving unmarked the name of each
candidate for whom he does not wish to vote. Any ballot marked so that the
intent of the voter is clear shall be counted.

B. The qualified voter at a presidential election shall mark the ballot in
accordance with the instructions for the type of ballot, for his choice of
candidates for President and Vice President. His ballot so marked shall be
counted as if he had marked the ballot in accordance with the instructions for
the type of ballot preceding the names of the individual electors affiliated
with his choice for President and Vice President. The qualified voter at a
presidential election may cast a write-in vote for President and Vice President
as provided in subsections C and D.

C. At all elections except primary elections it is lawful for any voter to vote
for any person other than the listed candidates for the office by writing or
hand printing the person&#8217;s name on the official ballot. No check or other
mark shall be required to cast a valid write-in vote. Write-in votes for
President and Vice President shall be counted only for candidates who have filed
a joint declaration of intent to be write-in candidates for the offices with the
Commissioner of Elections not less than 10 days before the date of the
presidential election. The declaration of intent shall be on a form prescribed
by the State Board and shall include a list of presidential electors pledged to
those candidates which equals the whole number of senators and representatives
to which the Commonwealth at that time is entitled in the Congress of the United
States. A write-in vote cast for candidates for President and Vice President, or
for a candidate for President only, shall be counted for the individual electors
listed on the declaration of intent as pledged to those candidates.

D. No write-in vote shall be counted unless the name is entered on the ballot in
conformance with this section. No write-in vote shall be counted when it is
apparent to the officers of election that a voter has voted for the same person
for the same office more than one time. No write-in vote shall be counted for an
office for any person whose name appears on the ballot as a candidate for that
office. If two or more persons are to be elected to the same office, a voter may
vote for one or more persons whose names do appear on the ballot and one or more
persons whose names do not appear on the ballot, provided that the total number
of votes cast by him for that office does not exceed the number of persons to be
elected to that office.

HISTORY: Code 1950, §§ 24-245, 24-252, 24-290.5, 24-307; 1952, c. 581; 1962,
cc. 260, 536; 1964, c. 593; 1970, c. 462, §§ 24.1-129, 24.1-161, 24.1-217;
1973, c. 30; 1975, c. 515; 1984, c. 234; 1985, cc. 197, 458; 1987, c. 349; 1990,
c. 214; 1993, c. 641; 1997, c. 100; 2013, c. 542; 2018, c. 464.