{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3914.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3914.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3914.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3914.html"}],"law_id":61609,"edition_id":1,"section_id":61609,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.15; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"If the proposed charter is not adopted by a majority of those voting in the election, an order shall be entered of record accordingly, and no other election for any change in the county form of government shall be held within three years after the date of the election. If the proposed charter is adopted by a majority of those voting in the election, the special court shall enter an order accordingly, a copy of which shall be forthwith certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and two copies, in the form of a proposed bill to grant the charter, shall be certified to one or more members of the General Assembly representing the county for introduction as a bill in the General Assembly.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":224946,"text":"If the proposed charter is not adopted by a majority of those voting in the election, an order shall be entered of record accordingly, and no other election for any change in the county form of government shall be held within three years after the date of the election. If the proposed charter is adopted by a majority of those voting in the election, the special court shall enter an order accordingly, a copy of which shall be forthwith certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and two copies, in the form of a proposed bill to grant the charter, shall be certified to one or more members of the General Assembly representing the county for introduction as a bill in the General Assembly.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13977,"edition_id":1,"name":"Transition of Counties to Cities","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:29","permalink":{"id":157699,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13977,"identifier":"39","token":"15.2\/III\/39","url":"\/15.2\/III\/39\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13062,"edition_id":1,"name":"Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","permalink":{"id":156919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13062,"identifier":"III","token":"15.2\/III","url":"\/15.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":78407,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3900","catch_line":"Transition authorized","url":"\/15.2-3900\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3900","metadata":false},{"id":76616,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","metadata":false},{"id":61945,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3902","catch_line":"Moratorium on annexation suits pending transition to city","url":"\/15.2-3902\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3902","metadata":false},{"id":80983,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3903","catch_line":"Notice of motion; service and publication; answer","url":"\/15.2-3903\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3903","metadata":false},{"id":70128,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3904","catch_line":"Parties","url":"\/15.2-3904\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3904","metadata":false},{"id":78965,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3905","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","url":"\/15.2-3905\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3905","metadata":false},{"id":55673,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3906","catch_line":"Pretrial conference; matters considered","url":"\/15.2-3906\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3906","metadata":false},{"id":61723,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3907","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","url":"\/15.2-3907\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3907","metadata":false},{"id":72364,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3908","catch_line":"Assistance of state agencies","url":"\/15.2-3908\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3908","metadata":false},{"id":55978,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3909","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/15.2-3909\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3909","metadata":false},{"id":62362,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3910","catch_line":"Charter commission; appointment; compensation","url":"\/15.2-3910\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3910","metadata":false},{"id":76353,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3911","catch_line":"Charter provisions generally","url":"\/15.2-3911\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3911","metadata":false},{"id":67433,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3912","catch_line":"Optional charter provisions","url":"\/15.2-3912\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3912","metadata":false},{"id":79171,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3913","catch_line":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","url":"\/15.2-3913\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","metadata":false},{"id":61609,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","metadata":false},{"id":84387,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3915","catch_line":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","url":"\/15.2-3915\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","metadata":false},{"id":63924,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3916","catch_line":"Creation of townships; effect on town charters; right of certain townships to obtain city status","url":"\/15.2-3916\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3916","metadata":false},{"id":55047,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3917","catch_line":"Certain cities not affected by chapter","url":"\/15.2-3917\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3917","metadata":false},{"id":79729,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3918","catch_line":"Optional status of streets","url":"\/15.2-3918\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3918","metadata":false},{"id":78203,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3919","catch_line":"Legislative, etc., district and judicial circuit not affected","url":"\/15.2-3919\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3919","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":79171,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3913","catch_line":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","url":"\/15.2-3913\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":84387,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3915","catch_line":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","url":"\/15.2-3915\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3914\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 85 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":157757,"object_type":"law","relational_id":61609,"identifier":"15.2-3914","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","dublin_core":{"Title":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3914","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

If the proposed charter is not adopted by a majority of those voting in the election, an order<\/span> shall be entered of record accordingly, and no other election for any change in the county<\/span> form of government shall be held within three years after the date of the election. If the proposed charter is adopted by a majority of those voting in the election, the special court<\/span> shall enter an order<\/span> accordingly, a copy of which shall be forthwith certified to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and two copies, in the form of a proposed bill to grant the charter, shall be certified to one or more members of the General Assembly representing the county<\/span> for introduction as a bill in the General Assembly.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nREJECTION OR ADOPTION OF CHARTER AT ELECTION (\u00a7 15.2-3914)\n\nIf the proposed charter is not adopted by a majority of those voting in the\nelection, an order shall be entered of record accordingly, and no other election\nfor any change in the county form of government shall be held within three years\nafter the date of the election. If the proposed charter is adopted by a majority\nof those voting in the election, the special court shall enter an order\naccordingly, a copy of which shall be forthwith certified to the Secretary of\nthe Commonwealth, and two copies, in the form of a proposed bill to grant the\ncharter, shall be certified to one or more members of the General Assembly\nrepresenting the county for introduction as a bill in the General Assembly.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.15; 1997, c. 587.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}