Subcommittee reports bill to standardize identification badges for electoral board members

Delegate Pope Adams presented House Bill 234, saying the measure would codify an existing best practice by directing the Department of Elections to issue a standardized identification badge for every acting electoral board member. The badges would display the member’s name, locality and term expiration and would be required only while performing official duties on election day.

The patron said the goal is transparency rather than changing authority or process, and badge issuance would be centralized through the Department of Elections. The bill exempts poll workers and volunteers from the requirement and applies only to acting electoral board members.

The text includes a limited enforcement provision: a civil penalty of up to $1,000 may be assessed if the state board determines a knowing violation. Delegate Henson asked whether the bill’s use of "may" versus "shall" was intentional; the patron clarified that "may" refers to the dollar amount and the range of penalty (from $1 to $1,000) is available when the state board finds a knowing violation.

Chris Bailey, speaking for the voter registrar's association, testified in support of the bill as a clarification of good practice. The clerk recorded a roll-call recommending HB234 by a vote of 6 to 1.