Call to Caucus to Nominate a Democratic Candidate for the Virginia State Senate in District 15
Call to Caucus to Nominate
a Democratic Candidate for the Virginia State Senate in District 15
The Chesterfield County and Richmond City Democratic Committees will hold an
unassembled caucus on Sunday, December 7, 2025, from 10am to 6pm at the following
locations:
● Thomas Dale High School WEST CAMPUS 3900 West Hundred Road, Chester
VA 23831 (Chesterfield)
● Manchester Middle School 7401 Hull Street Road, North Chesterfield VA 23235
(Chesterfield)
● Hickory Hill Community Center 3000 East Belt Blvd., Richmond VA 23234
Any registered voter in Virginia Senate District 15 who meets the participation
requirements outlined in the call to caucus will be eligible to vote at any of the caucus
voting locations.
The following provisions shall govern the caucus:
I. Candidate Filing Requirements:
A. Candidate filing format. Each person seeking to become the Democratic
Party Nominee for Virginia Senate District 15 shall file with Caroline
Emmons, Chair of Virginia Senate District 15 Nominating Committee
([email protected]), or her designee:
- SD15 Candidate Declaration of Candidacy.docx ;
- a candidate filing fee of $3,000
Declaration of candidacy forms and petition of qualified voter forms are
published on the DPVA, Chesterfield County Democratic Committee, and
Richmond City Democratic Committee websites and by request from the
Chair.
B. Mandatory fee. A filing fee of three thousand dollars ($3,000) made
payable to the Chesterfield County Democratic Committee with the
candidate filing materials. The filing fee shall be paid by check.
C. Deadline and means of filing. Candidate Filings must be returned to the
Chair or the Chair’s designated representative between Thursday,
December 4, at 9AM and Friday, December 5, at 9AM. A candidate whose
Filing contains errors or omissions may supplement or amend the filing
any time before the deadline; however, the filing will not be considered
properly filed until the Chair so certifies. Candidates may file through a
designated agent, but such action in no way alters the responsibility of the
candidate nor extends the deadline for receipt. The Chair or the Chair’s
designated representative must personally receive the Filing for it to be
valid. A candidate or candidate representative may contact the Chair at
[email protected] to make arrangements to transmit their
Filings. The Chair will take reasonable steps to ensure that candidates or
their agents can easily locate and transmit their Filings to the Chair or the
Chair’s designated representative. The Chair or the Chair’s designated
representative will confirm acceptance of a candidate Filing with a written
receipt. Once a candidate Filing is reviewed and determined to be properly
filed, the Chair will make reasonable attempts to notify the candidate by
contacting the phone number and email listed on the candidate’s
declaration of candidacy form.
D. Ballot order. Candidates will be listed on the ballot in the order that they
properly filed -- with the first complete and properly filed candidate listed
first on the ballot. In cases of simultaneous filing by multiple candidates,
ballot order will be determined by a coin toss. This coin toss will take place
at the time of the simultaneous filing.
E. Disqualification as a candidate. Only those candidates who have
properly filed by 9AM on December 5, will be listed on the caucus ballot
and be eligible for the Democratic nomination. In the event a candidate is
declared ineligible, the caucus process will proceed without that
candidate.
F. No contest. If only one person files properly to be a candidate for the
Democratic nominee, the Chair may cancel the caucus and declare the
properly filed candidate the Democratic Party nominee.
G. Insufficient candidates. In the event that no candidates have made a
valid filing by the December 5 at 9AM deadline, the Caucus will be
canceled. In the event that no candidate has made a valid filing, the 15th
Senate District Nominating Committee will have the sole power to
determine when and/or whether to nominate a Democratic Candidate for
the Virginia Senate District 15 seat.
II. Caucus Officers, Officials, and Other Authorized Persons and Activities
A. Caucus officials appointments. The Chair of the Virginia Senate District
15 Committee shall appoint all Caucus officers described in Rule II-B and
such other Officers of the Caucus as is deemed appropriate.
B. Officers of the Caucus
- Nominating Committee
- Director (one at each voting location)
- Sergeant-at-Arms (one at each voting location)
- Head Teller
- Credentials Officers (at least two at each voting location)
- Members of the Tellers Committee (at least one at each voting
location)
C. Conduct of Caucus officials. All Caucus officials must wear official
Caucus credentials while performing their duties at the Caucus. No
Caucus official may engage in partisan activity (i.e., activity supporting or
opposing a particular candidate) while performing the duties of a Caucus
official, or while wearing credentials as a Caucus official.
D. Campaign poll watchers. Each candidate (or campaign) may designate
one poll watcher per voting location. At any time, but with the permission
of the Director or the Director’s designee, a campaign may “swap out” an
individual serving as a poll watcher for another such individual. Each poll
watcher must wear credentials identifying them as such. No person will be
allowed to serve as a poll watcher and a Caucus official at the same time.
No individual may engage in partisan activity while performing the duties
of a poll watcher, or while wearing official credentials. No poll watcher may
initiate a conversation with any participant (although he or she may assist
a participant who requests it by directing the participant to a Caucus
official) without the permission of the Director, nor may a poll watcher
interfere with the privacy of individual voters casting ballots. Poll watchers
may observe all aspects of the election, including the setting up of the
Caucus site.
E. Media. Representatives from the press and other media outlets must be
issued credentials as observers before or upon entering the voting room.
Those issued credentials must not interfere with the voting process or the
privacy of individual voters.
F. Neutrality. In accordance with Section 10.11 of the Democratic Party Plan
certain party officials may not endorse. Additionally, the following caucus
officers may not publicly endorse or support any candidate seeking the
Democratic nomination for Virginia Senate District 15:
- Nominating Committee Members
- Directors
- Tellers
III. Caucus Procedures
A. Ballot box preparation. No more than 1 hour before the start of the
Caucus, the Director at each location, in the presence of any candidate (or
designated candidate representative) who wishes to observe, shall open a
ballot box to ensure that it is empty and seal the boxes in a manner that
makes it impractical to open without evidence of tampering. During the
course of the Caucus, if a subsequent ballot box is required, it will be
opened, inspected and then sealed using the same procedure, with notice
to any candidate (or representative) who is present and may wish to
observe.
B. Commencement of the Caucus. At 10am on Sunday, December 7, the
Director at each location will declare that the Caucus has begun; no
participant may enter the Caucus area before that time. The vote will be
held from 10am until the last person in line to vote at 6pm has cast his or
her ballot.
C. Sealing and storage of the ballot box. After the last eligible person has
voted on Sunday, December 7, the Director at each location, in the
presence of any candidate (or designated candidate representative) who
wishes to observe, shall seal their respective ballot box. The Directors will
deliver the secured ballot boxes to the Virginia Senate District 15 Chair at
7617 Pocoshock Way as soon as possible after the conclusion of voting.
D. Limits on campaigning. No campaigning or other partisan activities on
behalf of or opposed to a Caucus candidate are permitted inside any
Caucus building, and all campaigning and partisan activities are prohibited
within forty (40) feet outside any entrance to any Caucus building. The use
of any amplified audio system is not permitted within three hundred (300)
feet of any Caucus building. No campaign or individual may interfere with
persons entering or departing any Caucus location.
E. Required declaration form. At the door of the Caucus, the participants
will receive the Democratic Party declaration form, which will require each
participant’s full name and address, and a location for the participant to
sign the following pledge: “I certify that I am a resident of and registered to
vote in Virginia Senate District 15; I am a Democrat; I believe in the
principles of the Democratic Party; and I do not intend to support, endorse
or assist any candidate who is opposed to the Virginia Senate District 15
Democratic nominee in the ensuing election for Virginia Senate District
15.” No participant will be permitted to vote in the Caucus unless he or she
completes the declaration form.
F. Use of information. The list of voters who participate in the Caucus is the
property of the Virginia Senate District 15 Committee, and the Virginia
Senate District 15 Committee has the right to disclose to any person the
fact that a person has participated in the Caucus.
G. Review of declaration. After each participant has completed and signed
the declaration form, he or she will submit the form to a Credentials
Official who will ensure that the form is completed in full and without
alterations, including signature, after which a Credentials official will check
the information against the registered voter list. A declaration form
identified by a Credentials Official as not having been completed
accurately and in full, as not including a signature, or as containing any
alteration(s) to the pledge, will be rejected, although the participant will be
eligible to submit an unaltered or complete declaration form.
H. Monitoring participant validation. The candidate poll watchers may
observe, but not interfere with, the validation process. Any question
regarding the eligibility of a participant should be taken immediately to the
Director at that caucus location.
I. Standards for participant verification. A participant fulfilling the
requirements of Rule III-E above is eligible to vote if he or she is validly
registered as a voter in Virginia Senate District 15 at the time he or she
seeks to participate in the Caucus and if he or she presents a proof of
address or photo identification listed in Rule J. When a participant
presents a properly completed declaration form and proof of address, a
caucus official will check the information from the form and proof of
address or photo identification against the Caucus copy of the registered
voter list to ascertain the participant’s voting eligibility. Voters who have
completed the declaration form and been verified on the registered voter
list will receive a vote ticket and proceed to the area where the ballots are
located. The Credentials Official will check the box on the registered voter
list to indicate the voter has participated in the Caucus. If a participant is
not listed on the Caucus copy of the registered voter list, he or she may
offer a certificate of voting eligibility issued by the Richmond or
Chesterfield Voter Registrar (i.e., a voter registration card or receipt) or
demonstrate his or her registration via the Virginia Department of Elections
website, in which case the participant will be eligible to vote in the ordinary
fashion. A participant who is deemed eligible to participate in the Caucus
by the Credentials Official will be instructed to proceed toward the area
where the ballots are located.
J. Proof of address or Photo identification. A participant must show proof
of address or photo identification. Qualifying documents include:
- Payroll check stub issued by an employer within the last two
months - U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax reporting W-2 form or 1099 form
(not more than 18 months old) - U.S. or Virginia income tax return from the previous year.
- Original monthly bank statement not more than two months old
issued by a bank - Annual Social Security statement for the current or preceding
calendar year - Utility bill, not more than two months old, issued to the applicant
(examples include gas, electric, sewer, water, cable, phone or cell
phone bill). - Receipt for personal property taxes or real estate taxes paid within
the last year - Current automobile or life insurance bill (cards or policies are not
accepted) - Certified copy of school records/transcript or official report card
issued within the last year by a school accredited by a U.S. state,
jurisdiction or territory
10.Voter registration card - Driver’s license, learner’s permit or DMV-issued photo ID cards
displaying the applicant’s current address
12.Current homeowners insurance policy or bill
13.Canceled check (not more than two months old) with both name
and address imprinted
14.Deed, mortgage, monthly mortgage statement, or residential rental/
lease agreement
15.U.S. Postal Service change of address confirmation form or
postmarked U.S. mail with forwarding address label (must display
the applicant’s full name) - Valid United States passport
- Any other photo identification card issued by a government agency
of the Commonwealth, one of its political subdivisions, or the United
States - Valid student identification card containing a photograph of the
voter issued by any institution of higher education located in the
Commonwealth of Virginia - Any valid employee identification card containing a photograph of
the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary
course of the employer's business
K. Provisional voting. If a participant believes that he or she is registered to
vote in Virginia Senate District 15, but cannot demonstrate registration via
the foregoing methods, the Director will instruct a Credentials Official to
provide the participant with a ballot to cast provisionally. Provisional ballots
must be marked and returned to the Director, who will seal the provisional
ballot in an envelope, mark it as provisional, affix to the outside of the
sealed envelope the participant’s declaration form, and hold the
provisional ballot in the sealed envelope without casting it.
L. Distribution of ballots. When a participant with a vote ticket arrives at the
location where ballots are located, a Caucus ballot officer will hand the
participant one official paper ballot in exchange for the vote ticket, with a
procedure ensuring that only one ballot is given to each participant.
M. Marking and casting of ballots. Caucus officials will direct each voter to
the location where he or she may make his or her ballot selection, and
may provide voting instructions as needed. Voters will mark their ballots in
a setting that permits observation by Caucus officials, but also permits
voter privacy and confidentiality of voter choice. Upon marking his or her
ballot, each voter must place the ballot into the ballot box. A vote is not
considered cast until it has been placed into the ballot box. If a voter spoils
a ballot before casting it, the voter may request a replacement ballot;
however, only the Director may exchange such a ballot for a fresh ballot.
The Director shall keep a record of spoiled ballots.
N. Disability Services. A participant with a physical disability may request
the physical assistance of one or more Caucus officials to execute any of
the tasks listed in this section (e.g., to read and/or mark any form and/or
place a ballot in the ballot box). When a Caucus official determines that a
participant should be permitted to cast his or her vote through Disability
Services Voting, a Caucus official must deliver a declaration form to the
participant, transmit the complete declaration form for registration
verification, obtain a ballot (if the participant is eligible to vote), deliver the
ballot to the participant, seal the marked ballot in an envelope to ensure
voter privacy, and return the marked ballot to the ballot box. Curbside
voting will be offered for individuals eligible to vote curbside under the
Code of Virginia.
O. End of the Caucus. Approximately five minutes before the appointed end
time, the Sergeant-at-Arms will step outside the doors of the Caucus room
and again outside the Caucus building to announce that the Caucus voting
will end at the appointed time and at that time the doors to the Caucus will
be closed. All persons in line at the entrance doors or in any designated
line for Disability Services Voting at the appointed end time will be allowed
to vote. Any person not in line or in the voting room by the appointed time
will not be allowed to vote.
IV. Determination of Nominee: Counting of Votes, Announcement of Results.
A. Ballot preservation. No ballots will be counted before all eligible voters
have cast their votes on Sunday, December 7.
B. Teller Committee. The Chair will appoint a Teller Committee to count the
votes. The Teller Committee will comprise a Head Teller and at least four
Tellers. The Teller Committee will meet to tally votes beginning as soon as
possible after the conclusion of the caucus at the Chesterfield County
Democratic Committee office at 7617 Pocoshock Way. Boxes will not be
opened and counting will not begin before 7PM or as soon thereafter is
practicable. Candidates may have no more than two representatives,
including themselves, present to observe the tellers.
C. Sequestration of tellers. While counting is underway, all members of the
Teller Committee must agree to be sequestered in an area and not to
communicate with the outside world. The segregated area will be
designed to allow other Caucus officers to generally observe the Teller
Committee’s activities without interfering with them.
D. Ballot box delivery. Each sealed and secured ballot box will be delivered
by the voting location directors to the Chesterfield County Democratic
Office at 7617 Pocoshock Way immediately upon the conclusion of voting.
At 7PM or as soon as practicable after 7PM, the Chair will examine the
ballot boxes. Up to two candidate representatives (including the
candidate) may be present to observe. Ballot boxes will then be opened.
E. Conduct of Teller Committee. The Teller Committee will count, record,
and verify the results of the Caucus voting. At the conclusion of their
activities, the Teller Committee must agree upon their tabulations and affix
their signatures upon the written certification of the results. All activities of
the Teller Committee will occur under the direction of the Head Teller.
F. Opening. The Caucus Chair or her designee will open the ballot boxes in
the presence of the Teller Committee. At the commencement of the
counting process, the Chair will also announce the number of provisional
ballots cast and retained by the Directors.
G. Sorting. The members of the Teller Committee will divide the ballots
according to which candidate, or no candidate, was selected on the ballot.
If any ballot is unclear, any teller may ask at any time that it be set aside
as a “questionable” ballot. The remaining ballots, once unfolded and
sorted by candidate selected, will be redistributed for counting pursuant to
the provisions of Rule IV-H, below.
H. Counting. The tellers will stack the votes into piles of 100 like votes for a
given candidate and bind each stack together. Tellers are responsible for
ensuring that each stack contains 100 votes for a particular candidate and
each must sign a paper so certifying and affixing it to the stack. Any
ballots that remain after the stacks of 100 votes are counted and certified
will be counted into a short stack; all tellers will certify as to the number of
votes in each such stack. The tellers must alert the Head Teller regarding
any wrongly placed or questionable ballots. The resulting certified stacks
of ballots will be gathered together by the Head Teller in a central place.
I. Review. When all ballots that can be have been placed into stacks, the
Head Teller will then assemble the Teller Committee, which will determine
how to allocate each of the questionable ballots that could affect the totals.
The Teller Committee may unanimously declare that such a ballot be
allocated to one particular candidate, or to no candidate. If the Teller
Committee cannot agree unanimously, then the ballot must remain a
“questionable” ballot and will be indicated as such for purposes of the
Teller Committee’s certified total.
J. Tallying. The Head Teller, in the presence of the Teller Committee, will
then count aloud the stacks of votes and the number specified in any short
stack for each candidate, or no candidate, in turn. The Head Teller will
compute a total for each candidate. The Head Teller must then ensure that
all tellers agree on the totals (and report the total number of questionable
ballots, if any). The Head Teller will report totals for each candidate from
each location to compute the overall total of caucus votes for each
candidate.
K. Certification of results. Immediately upon the conclusion of all counting,
the Nominating Committee Chair will ensure that each member of the
Teller Committee certifies the tabulation; no announcement of the results
will be made until all reasonable efforts at this certification have been
undertaken. If there are provisional ballots that would affect the outcome
and those provisional ballots are ultimately validated, they will be used to
adjust the outcome.
L. Announcement of results. Unless the disposition of provisional ballots
could determine the outcome, the candidate with the most votes total
(combining the results from each location) will be declared the nominee.
The Chair or her designee will announce the certified result to those
assembled. The results will also be posted on the Democratic Party of
Virginia website in a timely manner.
M. Preservation of ballots. After the Chair or her designee has announced
the results, all ballots and provisional ballots will be taken up, sealed, and
secured for preservation.
N. Provisional ballots. If provisional ballots are cast during the Caucus, and
the number of those provisional ballots could potentially alter the outcome
of the Caucus (i.e. the identity of a nominee) if added to the results
certified by the Teller Committee, the Chair or her Designee will announce
the results, but the declaration of a Democratic nominee will not be made
until the provisional ballots are verified and counted on the day specified in
Rule V. If no provisional ballots are cast or if an insufficient number of
provisional ballots are cast to potentially alter the outcome of the Caucus if
added to the results certified by the Teller Committee, the Chair will
declare the results and the provisional ballots will not be counted.
V. Disposition of Provisional Ballots, Ties
A. Accreditation of provisional ballots. The Chair will determine a time
and day to consult with any relevant local registrar’s or their designee to
verify whether those who cast provisional ballots were registered voters in
VIrginia Senate District 15 as of the time of their participation in the
caucus. The meeting will be announced to the candidates or their
campaign representatives. Ballots cast by voters that the registrar
determined qualified will be counted. Reasonable efforts will be made to
protect voter privacy (i.e., to avoid disclosing the selection(s) made by a
particular identified voter). Any provisional ballots cast by voters who are
not determined eligible will not be opened or counted.
B. Counting of provisional ballots. In the event there are accredited
provisional ballots of sufficient number to possibly determine the election,
a Provisional Teller Committee will convene to count them, otherwise the
Chair or the Chair’s designee will count them. The Provisional Teller
Committee will include the Chair and up to two other tellers appointed by
the Chair. Each candidate may designate one observer to review the
count of any accredited provisional ballots. The Caucus Officers listed in
Rule II-B may also observe such counts. If the Provisional Teller
Committee is in unanimous agreement on how to allocate the accredited
provisional ballots, its members must all sign a certification to that effect. If
they disagree, each member of the Provisional Teller Committee must
indicate in writing to which specific candidate (or to no candidate) he or
she would allocate each accredited provisional ballot in each relevant
round of tabulation, and a plurality vote of the members of the Provisional
Teller Committee will determine the final allocation for each ballot in that
round, with the Chair permitted to cast an additional vote to break any tie.
C. Determination of outcome. If the nominee has not been declared due to
the need to ascertain the validity and disposition of provisional ballots,
following the review of those ballots, the results of accredited provisional
ballots (if any) will be added to the vote total(s) arrived at per Rule V. The
Chair will declare that the candidate prevailing under the relevant part of
Rule V as the Democratic nominee for Congress in Virginia Senate District
15.
D. Breaking of ties. In the event two candidates are tied, the Chair will flip a
coin to determine the nominee. In the event three or more candidates are
tied for first place, one candidate will be determined by drawing lots by the
Chair.
VI. Appeals. If there are any challenges to the conduct of the election, they will be
resolved by the Virginia Senate District 15 Nominating Committee Chair. If there
are further challenges to the Chair’s decision, they will be resolved by referring to
the Democratic Party of Virginia Party Plan.