{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-217.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-217.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-217.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-217.html"}],"law_id":61791,"edition_id":1,"section_id":61791,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-217","catch_line":"Election and terms of constitutional officers","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 24-154, 24-155, 24-161, 24-162, 24-167; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7\u00a7 24.1-86, 24.1-87; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 119; 1979, c. 522; 1993, c. 641.","full_text":"The qualified voters of each county shall elect a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the general election in November 1995, and every four years thereafter unless a county has adopted an optional form of government which provides that the office be abolished or a county’s charter so provides. The qualified voters of each city, unless its charter provides otherwise, shall elect a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the general election in November 1997, and every four years thereafter. All shall hold office for a term of four years beginning the January 1 next succeeding their election.\n\t\tThe qualified voters of the several counties shall elect a clerk of the circuit court of the county at the general election in November 1999, and every eight years thereafter. The qualified voters of each city having a circuit court shall elect a clerk of the circuit court at the November 1995, general election and every eight years thereafter. They shall hold office for a term of eight years beginning the January 1 next succeeding their election.\n\t\tIf a county and city share any of the offices to which this section applies, the qualified voters of the city shall cast their votes for that office according to the schedule set forth above for counties.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":225655,"text":"The qualified voters of each county shall elect a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the general election in November 1995, and every four years thereafter unless a county has adopted an optional form of government which provides that the office be abolished or a county’s charter so provides. The qualified voters of each city, unless its charter provides otherwise, shall elect a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the general election in November 1997, and every four years thereafter. All shall hold office for a term of four years beginning the January 1 next succeeding their election.\n\t\tThe qualified voters of the several counties shall elect a clerk of the circuit court of the county at the general election in November 1999, and every eight years thereafter. The qualified voters of each city having a circuit court shall elect a clerk of the circuit court at the November 1995, general election and every eight years thereafter. They shall hold office for a term of eight years beginning the January 1 next succeeding their election.\n\t\tIf a county and city share any of the offices to which this section applies, the qualified voters of the city shall cast their votes for that office according to the schedule set forth above for counties.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15174,"edition_id":1,"name":"Constitutional and Local Officers","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14248,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:42","permalink":{"id":187523,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15174,"identifier":"5","token":"24.2\/2\/5","url":"\/24.2\/2\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14248,"edition_id":1,"name":"Federal, Commonwealth, and Local Officers","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12937,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:26","permalink":{"id":187457,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14248,"identifier":"2","token":"24.2\/2","url":"\/24.2\/2\/","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":61791,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-217","catch_line":"Election and terms of constitutional officers","url":"\/24.2-217\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-217","metadata":false},{"id":58578,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-218","catch_line":"Election and term of county supervisors","url":"\/24.2-218\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-218","metadata":false},{"id":57783,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-219","catch_line":"Alternative for biennial county supervisor elections and staggered terms","url":"\/24.2-219\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-219","metadata":false},{"id":86735,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-220","catch_line":"Reversion to quadrennial elections","url":"\/24.2-220\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-220","metadata":false},{"id":64102,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-221","catch_line":"Time and frequency of referenda on election and term of supervisors","url":"\/24.2-221\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-221","metadata":false},{"id":76277,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-222","catch_line":"Election and terms of mayor and council for cities and towns","url":"\/24.2-222\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-222","metadata":false},{"id":70449,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-222.1","catch_line":"Alternative election of mayor and council at November general election in cities and towns","url":"\/24.2-222.1\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-222.1","metadata":false},{"id":82830,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-223","catch_line":"Election and term of school board members","url":"\/24.2-223\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-223","metadata":false},{"id":77866,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-224","catch_line":"Local elections not otherwise provided for","url":"\/24.2-224\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-224","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":58578,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-218","catch_line":"Election and term of county supervisors","url":"\/24.2-218\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-218","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-217\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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 1970, chapter 462; in 1979, chapter 522; in 1993, chapter 641.<\/p>","references":[{"id":57984,"section_number":"15.2-3534","catch_line":"Optional provisions of consolidation agreement","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3534\/"},{"id":54116,"section_number":"15.2-3820","catch_line":"Election and terms of other city officers","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3820\/"},{"id":58702,"section_number":"15.2-3821","catch_line":"Qualification of officers; vacancies","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3821\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":187525,"object_type":"law","relational_id":61791,"identifier":"24.2-217","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-217","url":"\/24.2-217\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-217\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-217","dublin_core":{"Title":"Election and terms of constitutional officers","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-217","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The qualified voters<\/span> of each county shall elect a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the general election<\/span> in November 1995, and every four years thereafter unless a county has adopted an optional form of government which provides that the office be abolished or a county’s charter so provides. The qualified voters<\/span> of each city, unless its charter provides otherwise, shall elect a sheriff, an attorney for the Commonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the general election<\/span> in November 1997, and every four years thereafter. All shall hold office for a term of four years beginning the January 1 next succeeding their election.\n\t\tThe qualified voters<\/span> of the several counties shall elect a clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of the county at the general election<\/span> in November 1999, and every eight years thereafter. The qualified voters<\/span> of each city having a circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall elect a clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> at the November 1995, general election<\/span> and every eight years thereafter. They shall hold office for a term of eight years beginning the January 1 next succeeding their election.\n\t\tIf a county and city share any of the offices to which this section applies, the qualified voters<\/span> of the city shall cast their votes for that office according to the schedule set forth above for counties.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nELECTION AND TERMS OF CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS (\u00a7 24.2-217)\n\nThe qualified voters of each county shall elect a sheriff, an attorney for the\nCommonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the general\nelection in November 1995, and every four years thereafter unless a county has\nadopted an optional form of government which provides that the office be\nabolished or a county’s charter so provides. The qualified voters of each\ncity, unless its charter provides otherwise, shall elect a sheriff, an attorney\nfor the Commonwealth, a treasurer, and a commissioner of the revenue at the\ngeneral election in November 1997, and every four years thereafter. All shall\nhold office for a term of four years beginning the January 1 next succeeding\ntheir election.\n\t\tThe qualified voters of the several counties shall elect a clerk of the\ncircuit court of the county at the general election in November 1999, and every\neight years thereafter. The qualified voters of each city having a circuit court\nshall elect a clerk of the circuit court at the November 1995, general election\nand every eight years thereafter. They shall hold office for a term of eight\nyears beginning the January 1 next succeeding their election.\n\t\tIf a county and city share any of the offices to which this section applies,\nthe qualified voters of the city shall cast their votes for that office\naccording to the schedule set forth above for counties.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 24-154, 24-155, 24-161, 24-162, 24-167; 1970, c. 462,\n\u00a7\u00a7 24.1-86, 24.1-87; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 119; 1979, c. 522; 1993, c. 641.","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}}