Bland County-Government

General Registrar of Voters

The General Registrars of Voters as established by the Constitution and Code of Virginia is a department head who independently manages all the duties and responsibilities of the office without direct supervision. The general registrar is the final arbiter of voter qualifications and controls who may vote on election day.

General Definition of Work: The General Registrar administers a comprehensive program of uniform statewide voter registration to qualify citizens to vote in federal, state and local elections. He provides all registration services and those election services delegated by the electoral board in conformity with the federal and state constitutions, state and local election laws and the policies and regulations established by the General Assembly, State Board of Elections and county government. The general registrar exercises independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of his office and solving problems.

Typical Tasks: The general registrar may supervise assistants who help to perform many of these tasks.

•Plans, develops, directs, monitors and evaluates the voter registration program
•provides all registration transaction services required by the Constitution and the Code of Virginia
•uses a system of assessing the communities needs and analyzing previous registration and identifying gaps in service to develop an annual registration program
•provides special registration services for schools and home bound residents
•coordinates with other Virginia registrars and the State Board of Elections to provide uniform statewide registration
•negotiates with other government agencies and private sector business managers to develop field registration sites
•monitors the registration program to assure that it is convenient to all residents, cost effective, in compliance with all laws and executed with courtesy and accuracy

Duties Delegated by the Electoral Board:

•manages preparations for elections, including materials, voting machines, ballots, voting places, and election officials
•conducts absentee voting
•trains election officials
•responds to emergencies and complaints on election day as well as during the year
•assists in canvass of election
•records election results and makes distribution to State Board of Elections, candidates, officials and the media

Communications and Public Relations:

•develops a public information program to promote registration and voting and to publicize changes in registration and election laws
•works with newspapers, radio, television and civic groups
•changes materials and methods to meet needs of changing election cycles
•works with legislators, elected officials, candidates and political parties
•answers inquiries from the public
•complies with legal requirements for advertising and legal notices
•prepares correspondence and reports
•maintains systems to monitor, analyze and present information on trends in demographics, residential construction, registration, elections and legislation related to voting
•networks with government officials and the community

Legal and Legislative:

•prepares suggestions for the county’s legislative agenda
•prepares submittal to the U.S. Department of Justice as required by the Voting Rights Act
•prepares legal notices
•assists in prosecution of registration and voting violations
•works with legislators to improve registration and election laws
•certified petitions for candidates, political parties and issues
•manages election forms, contributions and expenditure reports and economic statements filled by candidates

Networking with Other Agencies and Organizations:

•serves as department head attending required meetings, answering inquiries, providing reports and cooperation with other departments
•communicates with the State Board of Elections to provide information as required by the Constitution and Code of Virginia
•networks with other registrars and with other organizations to improve the registration and election process
•works with the U.S. Department and Defense on Federal voting programs

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

•must maintain a thorough knowledge of federal and state election laws, General Registrar’s and electoral board handbooks and the Virginia Voter Registration System procedures manual
•must possess a thorough knowledge of standard office procedures
• must have knowledge of computer systems, accounting, public relations, state and local government organization and community and political organization
•must have the ability to administer a comprehensive program of voter registration, manage personnel, fiscal and information resources and communicate clearly both orally and in writing

Education and Experience:

•must possess any combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree with experience in managing an office
•must have prior experience in voter registration and or other political activities

Special Requirements:

•must be a registered voter, have a valid Virginia driver’s permit and be able to work required evenings and weekends