Electoral Board and Staff

Electoral Board

Electoral Board Long-Term Strategic Plan, Adopted March 20, 2018(PDF, 146KB)

The Circuit Court appoints the three-member Electoral Board on recommendations from the local political parties. Two Electoral Board members represent the current governor’s political party, while the third member represents the party with the second-highest number of statewide votes in the last gubernatorial election. The chairman and secretary must represent different political parties, unless the minority party member has agreed otherwise.

Current Electoral Board members are (D = Democrat, R = Republican):

  • Richard Samp (R), Chair
  • Dominick Schirripa (R), Vice-Chair
  • Kimberly Phillip (D), Secretary

The Electoral Board members serve part-time appointments in staggered three-year terms. By law, they receive a set compensation amount and must meet twice a year in addition to specific election-related meetings. Other meetings are held, as needed, to facilitate the administration of Arlington’s elections.

The Electoral Board:

  • Appoints the election officers who work at the Election Day polls
  • Maintains accurate minutes and election records
  • Performs other specific duties as prescribed by the Code of Virginia or directed by the Virginia Department of Elections
  • Delegates many of the day-to-day tasks performed in conjunction with these duties to the registrar and the registrar’s staff

Director of Elections & Staff

In the year after the governor takes office, the Electoral Board must appoint a general registrar, the full-time staff administrator of the Office of Elections, to serve a four-year term. Usually, the Electoral Board reappoints the current registrar, unless the registrar plans to retire.

Current Director of Elections/General Registrar:

  • Gretchen Reinemeyer

The general registrar, in his or her capacity of director of elections:

  • Must be a resident of Arlington County
  • Can’t hold other elected or appointed offices or participate in partisan political activities
  • Hires assistant registrars and other employees required to run the office
  • Performs other specific duties as delegated by the Electoral Board or prescribed by the Code of Virginia or directed by the Virginia Department of Elections