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Introduced Version Senate Bill 493 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
Senate Bill No. 493

(By Senators Kessler, Oliverio and Plymale)

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[Introduced January 30, 2008; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §3-1A-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the powers and duties of the Secretary of State.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §3-1A-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1A. STATE ELECTION COMMISSION AND SECRETARY OF STATE.
§3-1A-6. Powers and duties of Secretary of State; exercise of powers by appointees.

The Secretary of State shall be the chief election official of the state. Except for those rules required by the provisions of section five of this article to be promulgated by the commission, the Secretary of State shall have the authority, after consultation with the state election commission, of which he or she is a member, to make, amend and rescind such orders and to promulgate such legislative rules, in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, as may be necessary to standardize and make effective the provisions of this chapter. Any rule proposed for promulgation by the Secretary of State pursuant to the provisions of this section, and all rules heretofore adopted or in any way represented to govern the administration or enforcement of the provisions of this chapter by the Secretary of State, shall be submitted on or before the first day of August, one thousand nine hundred ninety-five, to the Legislature for review by the legislative rule-making review committee and approval by the Legislature. All rules which have not been submitted and approved as aforesaid shall be of no further force and effect as of the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six. It shall be the duty of all election officials, county commissions, clerks of county commissions, clerks of circuit courts, boards of ballot commissioners, election commissioners and poll clerks to abide by such orders as may be issued and such legislative rules as may be promulgated by the Secretary of State and the commission.
(a) The Secretary of State also shall have authority to require collection and report of statistical information and to require other reports by county commissions, clerks of county commissions and clerks of circuit courts.
(b) It shall be his or her further duty to advise with election officials; to furnish to the election officials a sufficient number of indexed copies of the current election laws of West Virginia and the administrative orders and rules issued or promulgated thereunder; to investigate the administration of election laws, frauds and irregularities in any registration or election; to report violations of election laws to the appropriate prosecuting officials; and to prepare an annual report.
(c) The Secretary of State shall also have the power to administer oaths and affirmations, issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses, issue subpoena duces tecum to compel the production of books, papers, records, registration records and other evidence, and fix the time and place for hearing any matters relating to the administration and enforcement of this chapter, or the rules promulgated by the state election commission or by the Secretary of State as the chief election official of the state. In case of disobedience to a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum, he or she may invoke the aid of any circuit court in requiring the attendance, evidence and testimony of witnesses and the production of papers, books, records, registration records and other evidence.
(d) The Secretary of State shall also have the power, after consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, to implement emergency procedures and rules to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast a valid ballot in the event of a natural disaster as declared by the Governor of this state, a terrorist attack, in time of war, or general emergency, any of which occur during or immediately preceding an election, to uphold the integrity of the election.
(e) All powers and duties vested in the Secretary of State pursuant to the provisions of this article may be exercised by appointees of the Secretary of State at his or her discretion, but the Secretary of State shall be responsible for their acts.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to grant emergency powers to the Secretary of State ensuring that all eligible voters can cast a valid ballot in the event of a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, in time of war, or general emergency occurring during or immediately preceding an election, to uphold the integrity of the election.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
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