{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-126.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-126.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-126.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-126.html"}],"law_id":59797,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59797,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-126","catch_line":"Vote denial or dilution","history":"2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 528, 533.","full_text":"A\n\nNo voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by the state or any locality in a manner that results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote based on race or color or membership in a language minority group.B\n\nA violation of subsection A is established if, on the basis of the totality of circumstances, it is shown that the political processes leading to nomination or election in the state or a locality are not equally open to participation by members of a protected class in that its members have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political processes or to elect representatives of their choice. The extent to which members of a protected class have been elected to office in the state or locality is one circumstance that may be considered.C\n\nNothing in this section shall be construed to establish a right to have members of a protected class elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the population.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":218995,"text":"No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by the state or any locality in a manner that results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote based on race or color or membership in a language minority group.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":218996,"text":"A violation of subsection A is established if, on the basis of the totality of circumstances, it is shown that the political processes leading to nomination or election in the state or a locality are not equally open to participation by members of a protected class in that its members have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political processes or to elect representatives of their choice. The extent to which members of a protected class have been elected to office in the state or locality is one circumstance that may be considered.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":218997,"text":"Nothing in this section shall be construed to establish a right to have members of a protected class elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the population.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":12964,"edition_id":1,"name":"Rights of Voters","identifier":"1.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12937,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":187325,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12964,"identifier":"1.1","token":"24.2\/1.1","url":"\/24.2\/1.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12937,"edition_id":1,"name":"Elections","identifier":"24.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":187149,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12937,"identifier":"24.2","token":"24.2","url":"\/24.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":59634,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-125","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/24.2-125\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-125","metadata":false},{"id":59797,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-126","catch_line":"Vote denial or dilution","url":"\/24.2-126\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-126","metadata":false},{"id":54056,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-127","catch_line":"Impairment of voting rights of registered voters","url":"\/24.2-127\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-127","metadata":false},{"id":83566,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-128","catch_line":"Minority language accessibility","url":"\/24.2-128\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-128","metadata":false},{"id":73528,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-129","catch_line":"Covered practices; actions required prior to enactment or administration","url":"\/24.2-129\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-129","metadata":false},{"id":62568,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-130","catch_line":"At-large method of election; limitations; violations; remedies","url":"\/24.2-130\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-130","metadata":false},{"id":56804,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-131","catch_line":"Voter Education and Outreach Fund","url":"\/24.2-131\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-131","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":59634,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-125","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/24.2-125\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-125","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":54056,"structure_id":12964,"section_number":"24.2-127","catch_line":"Impairment of voting rights of registered voters","url":"\/24.2-127\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-127","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-126\/","history_text":false,"references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":187331,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59797,"identifier":"24.2-126","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-126","url":"\/24.2-126\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-126\/","token":"24.2\/1.1\/24.2-126","dublin_core":{"Title":"Vote denial or dilution","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-126","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by the state or any locality in a manner that results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote based on race or color or membership in a language minority group. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> A violation of subsection A is established if, on the basis of the totality of circumstances, it is shown that the political processes leading to nomination or election<\/span> in the state or a locality are not equally open to participation by members of a protected class in that its members have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political processes or to elect representatives of their choice. The extent to which members of a protected class have been elected to office in the state or locality is one circumstance that may be considered. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to establish a right to have members of a protected class elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the population. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nVOTE DENIAL OR DILUTION (\u00a7 24.2-126)\n\nA. No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard, practice, or\nprocedure shall be imposed or applied by the state or any locality in a manner\nthat results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the\nUnited States to vote based on race or color or membership in a language\nminority group.\n\nB. A violation of subsection A is established if, on the basis of the totality\nof circumstances, it is shown that the political processes leading to nomination\nor election in the state or a locality are not equally open to participation by\nmembers of a protected class in that its members have less opportunity than\nother members of the electorate to participate in the political processes or to\nelect representatives of their choice. The extent to which members of a\nprotected class have been elected to office in the state or locality is one\ncircumstance that may be considered.\n\nC. Nothing in this section shall be construed to establish a right to have\nmembers of a protected class elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the\npopulation.\n\nHISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 528, 533.","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}}