Bill > SB368

This bill allows counties and cities in Virginia to establish their own rules for local election campaigns by passing ordinances. Specifically, local governments can now set limits on how much money individuals or groups can contribute to candidates running for elected positions within that county or city. Furthermore, they can create a system of public campaign financing, which means using public funds to help pay for local election campaigns. If a county or city chooses to implement public financing, they must ensure it's voluntary for candidates, only used for local offices, and that participating candidates manage their campaign funds through a designated bank account for that specific office, preventing transfers to or from other campaigns. The local treasurer would manage a public election fund for this purpose, and while these local systems can have stricter rules than state law for participating candidates, they must still comply with state regulations and oversight by the State Board of Elections.