{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-603.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-603.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-603.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-603.html"}],"law_id":68277,"edition_id":1,"section_id":68277,"structure_id":16259,"section_number":"15.2-603","catch_line":"Referendum on election of supervisors by districts or at large","history":"1966, c. 531, \u00a7 15.1-623.1; 1975, c. 517; 1982, c. 32; 1997, c. 587; 2024, cc. 225, 242.","full_text":"The governing body of any county which has adopted the county manager form of government, as provided in Chapter 368 of the Acts of 1932, at an election held for that purpose pursuant to the provisions of said chapter, may by resolution petition the circuit court of the county requesting that a referendum be held on the following questions: (i) Shall the board of supervisors be elected solely by the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at large? (ii) Shall the board have in addition to the members from each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county at large? The court, by order entered of record in accordance with \u00a7 24.2-684, shall require the regular election officials on a day fixed in such order to open the polls and take the sense of the qualified voters of the county on the questions submitted as herein provided. The clerk of the circuit court of the county shall cause a notice of such referendum election to be published three times in a newspaper published or having a general circulation in the county, with the first notice appearing no more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days before the referendum. The clerk shall also post a copy of such notice at the door of the courthouse of the county. The ballot used shall be printed to read as follows:\n\t\tShall the board of supervisors be elected by the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at large?\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district.\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters of the county at large.\n\t\tShall the board have in addition to the members for each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county at large?\n\t\t[ ] Yes\n\t\t[ ] No\n\t\tThe ballots shall be marked in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 24.2-684.\n\t\tThe ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in other elections, and the result certified by the electoral board to the circuit court of the county. The circuit court shall enter of record the fact of which method of election of supervisors has been chosen by a majority of the qualified voters participating in such referendum election, and an election for members of the board by such method in that county shall be held at the next regular November election of such officers, and every four years thereafter.\n\t\tIn any election pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300 et seq.), the questions provided for in this section shall be submitted to the voters, in addition to the question or questions required by \u00a7 15.2-301.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":247021,"text":"The governing body of any county which has adopted the county manager form of government, as provided in Chapter 368 of the Acts of 1932, at an election held for that purpose pursuant to the provisions of said chapter, may by resolution petition the circuit court of the county requesting that a referendum be held on the following questions: (i) Shall the board of supervisors be elected solely by the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at large? (ii) Shall the board have in addition to the members from each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county at large? The court, by order entered of record in accordance with \u00a7 24.2-684, shall require the regular election officials on a day fixed in such order to open the polls and take the sense of the qualified voters of the county on the questions submitted as herein provided. The clerk of the circuit court of the county shall cause a notice of such referendum election to be published three times in a newspaper published or having a general circulation in the county, with the first notice appearing no more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days before the referendum. The clerk shall also post a copy of such notice at the door of the courthouse of the county. The ballot used shall be printed to read as follows:\n\t\tShall the board of supervisors be elected by the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at large?\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district.\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters of the county at large.\n\t\tShall the board have in addition to the members for each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county at large?\n\t\t[ ] Yes\n\t\t[ ] No\n\t\tThe ballots shall be marked in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 24.2-684.\n\t\tThe ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in other elections, and the result certified by the electoral board to the circuit court of the county. The circuit court shall enter of record the fact of which method of election of supervisors has been chosen by a majority of the qualified voters participating in such referendum election, and an election for members of the board by such method in that county shall be held at the next regular November election of such officers, and every four years thereafter.\n\t\tIn any election pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300 et seq.), the questions provided for in this section shall be submitted to the voters, in addition to the question or questions required by \u00a7 15.2-301.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16259,"edition_id":1,"name":"Adoption of County Manager Form","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13631,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:11:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:11:30","permalink":{"id":151685,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16259,"identifier":"1","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1","url":"\/15.2\/I\/6\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13631,"edition_id":1,"name":"County Manager Form of Government","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13138,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:26","permalink":{"id":151683,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13631,"identifier":"6","token":"15.2\/I\/6","url":"\/15.2\/I\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13138,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions; Charters; Other Forms and Organization of Counties","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","permalink":{"id":151281,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13138,"identifier":"I","token":"15.2\/I","url":"\/15.2\/I\/","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":73359,"structure_id":16259,"section_number":"15.2-600","catch_line":"Designation of form; applicability of chapter","url":"\/15.2-600\/","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1\/15.2-600","metadata":false},{"id":65777,"structure_id":16259,"section_number":"15.2-601","catch_line":"Adoption of county manager form","url":"\/15.2-601\/","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1\/15.2-601","metadata":false},{"id":70568,"structure_id":16259,"section_number":"15.2-602","catch_line":"Powers vested in board of supervisors; election and terms of members; vacancies","url":"\/15.2-602\/","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1\/15.2-602","metadata":false},{"id":68277,"structure_id":16259,"section_number":"15.2-603","catch_line":"Referendum on election of supervisors by districts or at large","url":"\/15.2-603\/","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1\/15.2-603","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":70568,"structure_id":16259,"section_number":"15.2-602","catch_line":"Powers vested in board of supervisors; election and terms of members; vacancies","url":"\/15.2-602\/","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1\/15.2-602","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-603\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1966. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 531 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 1966 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1975, chapter 517; in 1982, chapter 32; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>; in 2024, chapters 225<\/a> and 242<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":70568,"section_number":"15.2-602","catch_line":"Powers vested in board of supervisors; election and terms of members; vacancies","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-602\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":83114,"section_number":"15.2-300","catch_line":"Adoption of optional forms of county government; inconsistent provisions of law","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-300\/"},{"id":57211,"section_number":"15.2-301","catch_line":"Petition or resolution asking for referendum; notice; conduct of election","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-301\/"},{"id":82479,"section_number":"24.2-684","catch_line":"How referendum elections called and held, and the results ascertained and certified","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-684\/"}],"permalink":{"id":151699,"object_type":"law","relational_id":68277,"identifier":"15.2-603","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1\/15.2-603","url":"\/15.2-603\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-603\/","token":"15.2\/I\/6\/1\/15.2-603","dublin_core":{"Title":"Referendum on election of supervisors by districts or at large","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-603","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The governing body<\/span> of any county<\/span> which has adopted the county<\/span> manager form of government, as provided in Chapter 368 of the Acts of 1932, at an election held for that purpose pursuant to the provisions of said chapter, may by resolution petition<\/span> the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of the county<\/span> requesting that a referendum<\/span> be held on the following questions: (i) Shall the board of supervisors<\/span> be elected solely by the qualified voters<\/span> of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters<\/span> of the county<\/span> at large? (ii) Shall the board have in addition to the members from each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county<\/span> at large? The court<\/span>, by order<\/span> entered of record in accordance with \u00a7 24.2-684<\/a>, shall require the regular election officials on a day fixed in such order<\/span> to open the polls and take the sense of the qualified voters<\/span> of the county<\/span> on the questions submitted as herein provided. The clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of the county<\/span> shall cause a notice of such referendum<\/span> election to be published three times in a newspaper published or having a general circulation in the county<\/span>, with the first notice appearing no more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days before the referendum<\/span>. The clerk shall also post a copy of such notice at the door of the courthouse of the county<\/span>. The ballot used shall be printed to read as follows:\n\t\tShall the board of supervisors<\/span> be elected by the qualified voters<\/span> of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters<\/span> of the county<\/span> at large?\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters<\/span> of each magisterial or election district.\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters<\/span> of the county<\/span> at large.\n\t\tShall the board have in addition to the members for each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the county<\/span> at large?\n\t\t[ ] Yes\n\t\t[ ] No\n\t\tThe ballots shall be marked in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 24.2-684<\/a>.\n\t\tThe ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in other elections, and the result certified by the electoral board to the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of the county<\/span>. The circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall enter of record the fact<\/span> of which method of election of supervisors has been chosen by a majority of the qualified voters<\/span> participating in such referendum<\/span> election, and an election for members of the board by such method in that county<\/span> shall be held at the next regular November election of such officers, and every four years thereafter.\n\t\tIn any election pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300<\/a> et seq.), the questions provided for in this section shall be submitted to the voters<\/span>, in addition to the question or questions required by \u00a7 15.2-301<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nREFERENDUM ON ELECTION OF SUPERVISORS BY DISTRICTS OR AT LARGE (\u00a7 15.2-603)\n\nThe governing body of any county which has adopted the county manager form of\ngovernment, as provided in Chapter 368 of the Acts of 1932, at an election held\nfor that purpose pursuant to the provisions of said chapter, may by resolution\npetition the circuit court of the county requesting that a referendum be held on\nthe following questions: (i) Shall the board of supervisors be elected solely by\nthe qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the\nqualified voters of the county at large? (ii) Shall the board have in addition\nto the members from each magisterial or election district, one member from any\ndistrict elected from and representing the county at large? The court, by order\nentered of record in accordance with \u00a7 24.2-684, shall require the regular\nelection officials on a day fixed in such order to open the polls and take the\nsense of the qualified voters of the county on the questions submitted as herein\nprovided. The clerk of the circuit court of the county shall cause a notice of\nsuch referendum election to be published three times in a newspaper published or\nhaving a general circulation in the county, with the first notice appearing no\nmore than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days\nbefore the referendum. The clerk shall also post a copy of such notice at the\ndoor of the courthouse of the county. The ballot used shall be printed to read\nas follows:\n\t\tShall the board of supervisors be elected by the qualified voters of each\nmagisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at\nlarge?\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district.\n\t\t[ ] By the qualified voters of the county at large.\n\t\tShall the board have in addition to the members for each magisterial or\nelection district, one member from any district elected from and representing\nthe county at large?\n\t\t[ ] Yes\n\t\t[ ] No\n\t\tThe ballots shall be marked in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 24.2-684.\n\t\tThe ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in other\nelections, and the result certified by the electoral board to the circuit court\nof the county. The circuit court shall enter of record the fact of which method\nof election of supervisors has been chosen by a majority of the qualified voters\nparticipating in such referendum election, and an election for members of the\nboard by such method in that county shall be held at the next regular November\nelection of such officers, and every four years thereafter.\n\t\tIn any election pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300 et seq.), the questions\nprovided for in this section shall be submitted to the voters, in addition to\nthe question or questions required by \u00a7 15.2-301.\n\nHISTORY: 1966, c. 531, \u00a7 15.1-623.1; 1975, c. 517; 1982, c. 32; 1997, c. 587;\n2024, cc. 225, 242.","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}}