Appointment and removal of general registrar; appointment of officers of election; powers and duties in general
Va. Code Ann. § 24.2-109
in effectA. Each electoral board shall appoint the general registrar for its city or county and officers of election for each precinct who shall serve in all elections, including town elections, as provided in this chapter. The secretary of the electoral board shall promptly notify each appointee of his appointment.
B. The electoral board may institute proceedings pursuant to § 24.2-234.1 for the removal of any general registrar by a recorded majority vote of the Board after a public hearing on related matters.
The electoral board may remove a general registrar by a recorded unanimous vote of all its members after a public hearing on related matters. A registrar who is so removed may file a notice of appeal to the State Board within three business days. Upon receipt of a properly filed appeal, the State Board shall schedule a public hearing on the matter as soon as practicable. Upon consideration of the appeal, the State Board may reverse the decision of the electoral board by a recorded two-thirds majority vote of all its members. Such decision shall be final and not subject to appeal. A general registrar who is removed by a unanimous vote of the electoral board shall remain in office until the expiration of the deadline to file a notice of appeal or, if the notice of appeal is properly filed, until the State Board renders a final decision upholding the decision of the electoral board.
The State Board shall prescribe standards and procedures for the conduct of public hearings conducted pursuant to this subsection.
A general registrar may be removed or have removal proceedings instituted against him pursuant to this subsection for (i) neglect of a clear, ministerial duty of the office, misuse of the office, or incompetence in the performance of the duties of the office where such neglect, misuse, or incompetence has a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office or (ii) an unambiguous indication of a future refusal or failure to carry out the duties of the office where such refusal or failure would likely have a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office.
C. The electoral board shall remove from office, on notice, any general registrar who fails to receive or maintain certification as required by the State Board pursuant to subsection C of § 24.2-103 .
D. The electoral board shall perform the duties assigned by this title, including the conduct of the election and the ascertaining and certification of the results of the election. Such duties are a clear ministerial duty of the office and nondiscretionary, and the neglect of any such duty, or the refusal to perform such duty in accordance with law, shall be grounds for removal pursuant to § 24.2-234.1 .
Code 1950, §§ 24-30, 24-35, 24-36, 24-52, 24-52.1, 24-55, 24-61, 24-65, 24-66, 24-118.1, 24-199; 1954, c. 691; 1962, c. 475; 1964, c. 608; 1968, cc. 97, 141; 1970, c. 462, §§ 24.1-32, 24.1-34, 24.1-43; 1973, c. 30; 1974, c. 428; 1975, c. 515; 1976, c. 12; 1978, c. 778; 1980, c. 639; 1981, c. 425; 1982, cc. 290, 650; 1983, c. 511; 1984, c. 480; 1985, c. 197; 1986, c. 558; 1988, c. 528; 1989, c. 227; 1993, c. 641; 2004, cc. 27 , 391 ; 2020, c. 1148 ; 2023, cc. 256 , 257 ; 2026, cc. 60 , 1032 .
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/24.2-109/Fetched: 10/16/2026