{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-222.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-222.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-222.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-222.html"}],"law_id":76277,"edition_id":1,"section_id":76277,"structure_id":15174,"section_number":"24.2-222","catch_line":"Election and terms of mayor and council for cities and towns","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 24-160, 24-168; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-90; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 119; 1972, c. 747; 1993, c. 641; 2000, c. 1045; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 225.","full_text":"A\n\nThe qualified voters of each city and town shall elect a mayor, if so provided by charter, and a council for the terms provided by charter. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special, in a city or town that imposes district-based or ward-based residency requirements for members of the city or town council, the member elected from each district or ward shall be elected by the qualified voters of that district or ward and not by the locality at large.B\n\nExcept as provided in § 24.2-222.1, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special: (i) any election of mayor or councilmen of a city or town whose charter provides for such elections at two-year or four-year intervals shall take place at the May general election of an even-numbered year and (ii) any election of mayor or councilmen of a city or town whose charter provides for such elections at one-year or three-year intervals shall take place at the general election in May of the years designated by charter. The persons so elected shall enter upon the duties of their offices on July 1 succeeding their election and remain in office until their successors have qualified.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":273827,"text":"The qualified voters of each city and town shall elect a mayor, if so provided by charter, and a council for the terms provided by charter. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special, in a city or town that imposes district-based or ward-based residency requirements for members of the city or town council, the member elected from each district or ward shall be elected by the qualified voters of that district or ward and not by the locality at large.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":273828,"text":"Except as provided in § 24.2-222.1, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special: (i) any election of mayor or councilmen of a city or town whose charter provides for such elections at two-year or four-year intervals shall take place at the May general election of an even-numbered year and (ii) any election of mayor or councilmen of a city or town whose charter provides for such elections at one-year or three-year intervals shall take place at the general election in May of the years designated by charter. The persons so elected shall enter upon the duties of their offices on July 1 succeeding their election and remain in office until their successors have qualified.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"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}],"previous_section":{"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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-222\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\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 1970, chapter 462; in 1972, chapter 747; in 1993, chapter 641; in 2000, chapter 1045<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":60235,"section_number":"15.2-1400","catch_line":"Governing bodies","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1400\/"},{"id":58702,"section_number":"15.2-3821","catch_line":"Qualification of officers; vacancies","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3821\/"},{"id":70449,"section_number":"24.2-222.1","catch_line":"Alternative election of mayor and council at November general election in cities and towns","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-222.1\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":70449,"section_number":"24.2-222.1","catch_line":"Alternative election of mayor and council at November general election in cities and towns","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-222.1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":187545,"object_type":"law","relational_id":76277,"identifier":"24.2-222","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-222","url":"\/24.2-222\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-222\/","token":"24.2\/2\/5\/24.2-222","dublin_core":{"Title":"Election and terms of mayor and council for cities and towns","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-222","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The qualified voters<\/span> of each city and town shall elect a mayor, if so provided by charter, and a council for the terms provided by charter. Notwithstanding any other provision of law<\/span>, general or special, in a city or town that imposes district-based or ward-based residency requirements for members of the city or town council, the member elected from each district or ward shall be elected by the qualified voters<\/span> of that district or ward and not by the locality at large. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Except as provided in § 24.2-222.1<\/a>, and notwithstanding any other provision of law<\/span>, general or special: (i) any election of mayor or councilmen of a city or town whose charter provides for such elections<\/span> at two-year or four-year intervals shall take place at the May general election<\/span> of an even-numbered year and (ii) any election of mayor or councilmen of a city or town whose charter provides for such elections<\/span> at one-year or three-year intervals shall take place at the general election<\/span> in May of the years designated by charter. The persons so elected shall enter upon the duties of their offices on July 1 succeeding their election and remain in office until their successors have qualified. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nELECTION AND TERMS OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR CITIES AND TOWNS (\u00a7 24.2-222)\n\nA. The qualified voters of each city and town shall elect a mayor, if so\nprovided by charter, and a council for the terms provided by charter.\nNotwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special, in a city or\ntown that imposes district-based or ward-based residency requirements for\nmembers of the city or town council, the member elected from each district or\nward shall be elected by the qualified voters of that district or ward and not\nby the locality at large.\n\nB. Except as provided in § 24.2-222.1, and notwithstanding any other\nprovision of law, general or special: (i) any election of mayor or councilmen of\na city or town whose charter provides for such elections at two-year or\nfour-year intervals shall take place at the May general election of an\neven-numbered year and (ii) any election of mayor or councilmen of a city or\ntown whose charter provides for such elections at one-year or three-year\nintervals shall take place at the general election in May of the years\ndesignated by charter. The persons so elected shall enter upon the duties of\ntheir offices on July 1 succeeding their election and remain in office until\ntheir successors have qualified.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 24-160, 24-168; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-90; 1971, Ex.\nSess., c. 119; 1972, c. 747; 1993, c. 641; 2000, c. 1045; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c.\n225.","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}}