Andrea M. Gaines

The board discussed several items, including the introduction of a new member and an announcement regarding a deputy commissioner appointment. Public comments addressed a petition for the removal of local electoral board members and a request for definitions of terms used in the voter portal's ballot status column. Reports covered the early voting process for a referendum, office visits, upcoming special elections, and a recent executive order on election administration list maintenance. The board certified the results of a recent special election, approved updates to electronic poll book certification standards, and initiated a review of the electronic meeting policy regarding remote public participation requirements.

The meeting was called to order under a governor's declared emergency, which permitted the virtual format. The primary topic was addressing the requirement to meet daily until the special election results carried over from the previous day's agenda could be certified. The Board noted that they anticipated receiving the results from Fairfax County the following day. Since no other business was present, the Board moved to adjourn and reconvene on the issue the next day.

The meeting commenced with welcoming representatives from the Secretary of Administration's office and the Attorney General's office. Key agenda items included the approval of minutes from five previous dates in January 2026. Following public comment, during which concerns about electoral irregularities and a petition for removal of board members were raised, the Commissioner provided an update. The Commissioner's report detailed the certification of the February 10th special election results and discussed upcoming elections, including a statewide constitutional referendum on redistricting, emphasizing the General Assembly's authority over the referendum language and potential changes to the 2026 election calendar, such as moving primaries to August. Subsequently, the board addressed the certification of results for the February 10th special election, involving Senate District 39 and House District 5 contests, after staff confirmed the accuracy of reported abstracts. The meeting concluded with the board entering and reconvening from a closed session concerning pending threatening location matters.

The meeting commenced with the Chair calling the session to order, noting it was a significant transition time. Following the role call, the minutes from the December 1st, 2025 meeting were approved. A commissioner's report highlighted the successful execution of four special elections over the preceding two weeks and detailed accomplishments over the past four years, including improvements to the voter registration system (Varys), increased voter list accuracy by removing deceased voters, securing numerous interstate data-sharing agreements, reducing voter list costs, and improving website accessibility. The final segment of the regular agenda focused on certifying the January 6th special elections results, which involved comprehensive data verification procedures. The board also addressed a risk-limiting audit report for a specific House of Delegates race and conducted campaign finance penalty appeals hearings, including a case involving a deceased candidate treasurer where the statute of limitations and liability were debated.

The meeting commenced with a quorum established and a public comment period, during which no comments were offered. A key segment included the Commissioner's Report, mentioning upcoming agenda items: the certification from the special election held on January 20th for the House Delegate 17th district in Fairfax County, and the Virginia certification standards for voting systems. The certification for the January 20th special election was deferred due to the unavailability of final returns from Fairfax County, requiring subsequent meetings to be scheduled to receive and certify the results. The board also addressed proposed amendments to the Virginia certification standards for voting systems 3.0, specifically regarding an increase in vendor fees associated with Voting Systems Test Laboratories (VISTLS) services, moving the fee from $35,000 to $50,000 due to increased complexity and time requirements under the new VVSG 2.0 standards.