Amendment 31 (1998)

Absentee Voting

Amends

Article II. Franchise and Officers

Section 1. Qualifications of voters

Summary

This measure allows Virginians who are working overseas and their families to vote absentee.

Ballot Question

Shall the Constitution of Virginia be amended to permit persons employed overseas, and their families, who are qualified to vote in Virginia, to continue to vote in Virginia while overseas subject to the conditions and time limits set by law?

Article II. Franchise and Officers

Section 1. Qualifications of voters

In elections by the people, the qualifications of voters shall be as follows: Each voter shall be a citizen of the United States, shall be eighteen years of age, shall fulfill the residence requirements set forth in this section, and shall be registered to vote pursuant to this article. No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be qualified to vote unless his civil rights have been restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. As prescribed by law, no person adjudicated to be mentally incompetent shall be qualified to vote until his competency has been reestablished.

The residence requirements shall be that each voter shall be a resident of the Commonwealth and of the precinct where he votes. Residence, for all purposes of qualification to vote, requires both domicile and a place of abode. The General Assembly may provide for persons who are employed overseas, and their spouses and dependents residing with them, and who are qualified to vote except for relinquishing their place of abode in the Commonwealth while overseas, to vote in the Commonwealth subject to conditions and time limits defined by law. The General Assembly may provide for persons who are qualified to vote except for having moved their residence from one precinct to another within the Commonwealth to continue to vote in a former precinct subject to conditions and time limits defined by law. The General Assembly may also provide, in elections for President and Vice-President of the United States, alternatives to registration for new residents of the Commonwealth.

Any person who will be qualified with respect to age to vote at the next general election shall be permitted to register in advance and also to vote in any intervening primary or special election.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article2/section1/

Additional Resources