RICHMOND – Virginia NAACP President Robert N. Barnette, Jr. issued the following statement regarding the recent inaction of the State Board of Elections:
“The Virginia NAACP is growing concerned with the appearance of disparate treatment of candidates of color by the State Board of Elections with regards to the extension of deadlines. The fact that the recently disqualified candidates were of color who sought to challenge incumbent legislators adds to our concerns.
The Virginia NAACP calls upon the State Board of Elections to grant deadline extensions in the same manner it has consistently done in the past. Finally, the Virginia NAACP calls upon the State Board of Elections to immediately release the demographic data of candidates who they have granted or not granted deadline extensions in the past five years.”