About Our Office

Electoral Board Members:

Tracy A. Neely, Chair

Donald F. Doyle, Vice-chair

Clive R. Richmond, Secretary

Office Staff and Contact Information:

Melissa Hart, General Registrar
Kendall Trout, Chief Deputy Registrar

131 N. Main St.
Culpeper, VA 22701

Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (Monday through Friday)
Phone: 540-825-0652
Fax: 540-825-8454
Email Address: mmhart@culpepercounty.gov

In the Commonwealth, Electoral Boards and General Registrars are carefully kept separate constitutionally from the elected officers of state and local governments whose elections they oversee. In each locality the Electoral Board is appointed by the Circuit Court serving the jurisdiction from which the Board is chosen. In turn, the Electoral Board appoints a General Registrar to a four-year term of office.

In the County of Culpeper the Chief Judge of the 19th Circuit Court is the appointing official who has cognizance over the Board. By law, the Electoral Board members and the General Registrar must be residents of and registered voters in the jurisdictions they serve. The shared interest of both the Registrar and Electoral Board members is working in cooperation to produce clean and trouble-free elections in Culpeper County. The General Registrar is responsible for ensuring that all persons who meet the qualifications specified in the Virginia Constitution and the Code of Virginia are enrolled as registered voters. The voter registration rolls play a central role in preparing for local, state, and national elections. Throughout the year, the General Registrar’s staff works to ensure that the List of Registered Voters is accurate. Each day staff adds new qualified voters and deletes those who have died, moved away, or disqualified themselves from voting.

The Culpeper County Electoral Board meets throughout the year to ensure that the General Registrar’s Office is functioning as prescribed by law, and to prepare for elections. The Electoral Board is a true bipartisan body. By law the Chairman and Secretary must be members of opposing political parties. Above all, the Board works for the impartiality and integrity of the electoral process.

Elections require intensive planning and preparation. The General Registrar, working with the Electoral Board, must identify suitable polling places, acquire and test voting and other equipment, recruit and train Officers of Election, and obtain technical support and financial resources. In the County of Culpeper, the General Registrar serves the Board as the “Director of Elections” on election law and procedures, voting machines, ballot formulation, and Officer of Election training. The General Registrar’s office also receives candidates’ filing and financial reports.