EXCEPRT

This report describes the state of electoral administration in Virginia circa 2001, illuminating where the commonwealth has made progress and outlining a few areas where it has more to accomplish. It also provides a detailed description of election day 2001, including the many accomplishments and few problems in voting and tabulation. The report is comprised of six chapters. The bulk of the report is in Chapter 2, explaining developments from election day and analyzing the effects of these results on further electoral reform. The report then turns to the effect of the 2000 presidential election, the problems it exposed for Virginians and their leadership, and the efforts taken to ensure there was not a Floridian experience in Virginia in the 2001 election. This includes a description of hearings within the commonwealth and the development of a nonprofit election monitoring program, which is discussed in detail in Appendix 1. Chapter 4 analyzes more official responses from the Virginia General Assembly, its Joint Subcommittee to Study Election Process and Voting Technologies, and the Virginia State Board of Elections. Chapter 5 describes Virginia�s electoral laws and practice, introduces the various actors in electoral administration, and explains key provisions in the law. The report then closes with a short section arguing that Virginia must prioritize additional funds for election administration if it wants to maintain its pace of progress. There is also a second appendix that provides a short political history of Virginia, for it is difficult to appreciate how far Virginia has come in improving its electoral process without understanding where it started from.

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