                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION ON PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS TO VOTERS (§
30-19.9)

When a proposed amendment is to be submitted to the people for their approval
and ratification pursuant to Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of
Virginia and § 30-19, the State Board of Elections shall cause to be printed
and distributed to the general registrar of each county and city, not less than
ninety days prior to the election, copies of an explanation of such amendment to
be placed at each registration site in sufficient number to provide a copy to
any interested person, and to election officials to be posted at the polling
places on the day of the election. The State Board shall post the explanation on
its site on the Internet. It also shall cause such explanation to be published
by paid advertisement in each daily newspaper with an average daily circulation
of more than 50,000 in Virginia, and published in Virginia or in a contiguous
state or district, once during the week preceding the final day for registration
and once during the week preceding the election at which the proposed amendment
is to be presented to the people.
		The explanation shall contain the ballot question, the full text of the
proposed constitutional amendment, and a statement of not more than 500 words on
the proposed amendment. The explanation shall be presented in plain English,
shall be limited to a neutral explanation, which may include a brief statement
on the effect of a &#8220;yes&#8221; and &#8220;no&#8221; vote on the question
but shall not include arguments submitted by either proponents or opponents of
the proposal. The Division of Legislative Services, in consultation with such
agencies of state government as may be appropriate, including the Office of
Attorney General, shall prepare an explanation for any such proposal which is
approved by the General Assembly on first reference and referred to the next
regular session of the General Assembly following the general election of
members of the House of Delegates. The explanation shall be approved for
distribution as to form and content by the Committee on Privileges and Elections
of the first house of introduction of the resolution proposing the amendment as
soon as practicable after enactment of the ballot question.
		Any failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall not affect the
validity of the constitutional amendment.

HISTORY: 1987, c. 311; 1999, c. 589; 2001, c. 1.