{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-304.4.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-304.4.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-304.4.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-304.4.html"}],"law_id":60240,"edition_id":1,"section_id":60240,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.4","catch_line":"Mandamus action for failure to reapportion districts or wards","history":"1995, c. 249.","full_text":"Whenever the governing body of any county, city or town fails to perform the duty of reapportioning the representation on the governing body among the districts or wards of the county, city, or town, or fails to change the boundaries of districts or wards, as prescribed by law, mandamus shall lie in favor of any citizen of such county, city, or town, to compel the performance of such duty.\n\t\tWhenever the governing body of any county, city or town changes the boundaries, or increases or diminishes the number of districts or wards, or reapportions the representation in the governing body as prescribed by law, the action shall not be subject to judicial review, unless it is alleged that the representation is not proportional to the population of the district or ward. If such allegation is made in a bill of complaint filed in the circuit court for the county, city or town, the court shall determine whether the action of the governing body complies with the constitutional requirements for redistricting and reapportionment. Appeals from the court’s decision shall be as in any other suit.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":220328,"text":"Whenever the governing body of any county, city or town fails to perform the duty of reapportioning the representation on the governing body among the districts or wards of the county, city, or town, or fails to change the boundaries of districts or wards, as prescribed by law, mandamus shall lie in favor of any citizen of such county, city, or town, to compel the performance of such duty.\n\t\tWhenever the governing body of any county, city or town changes the boundaries, or increases or diminishes the number of districts or wards, or reapportions the representation in the governing body as prescribed by law, the action shall not be subject to judicial review, unless it is alleged that the representation is not proportional to the population of the district or ward. If such allegation is made in a bill of complaint filed in the circuit court for the county, city or town, the court shall determine whether the action of the governing body complies with the constitutional requirements for redistricting and reapportionment. Appeals from the court’s decision shall be as in any other suit.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15637,"edition_id":1,"name":"Reapportionment of Local Election Districts","identifier":"2.1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13389,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:57:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:57:12","permalink":{"id":187721,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15637,"identifier":"2.1","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1","url":"\/24.2\/3\/2.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13389,"edition_id":1,"name":"Election Districts, Precincts, and Polling Places","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12937,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:47","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:47","permalink":{"id":187667,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13389,"identifier":"3","token":"24.2\/3","url":"\/24.2\/3\/","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":81384,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.1","catch_line":"At-large and district elections; reapportionment and redistricting of districts or wards; limits","url":"\/24.2-304.1\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.1","metadata":false},{"id":64368,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.2","catch_line":"Governing body authorized to expend funds for reapportionment","url":"\/24.2-304.2\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.2","metadata":false},{"id":71455,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.3","catch_line":"Recording reapportionment ordinance; notice requirements","url":"\/24.2-304.3\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.3","metadata":false},{"id":60240,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.4","catch_line":"Mandamus action for failure to reapportion districts or wards","url":"\/24.2-304.4\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.4","metadata":false},{"id":59738,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.5","catch_line":"Notification of certain civil actions","url":"\/24.2-304.5\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.5","metadata":false},{"id":61973,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.6","catch_line":"Effect of reapportionment on appointments and terms of local officers, school board and planning commission members","url":"\/24.2-304.6\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.6","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":71455,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.3","catch_line":"Recording reapportionment ordinance; notice requirements","url":"\/24.2-304.3\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.3","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":59738,"structure_id":15637,"section_number":"24.2-304.5","catch_line":"Notification of certain civil actions","url":"\/24.2-304.5\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.5","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-304.4\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1995. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 249<\/a> 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.<\/p>","references":[{"id":56824,"section_number":"15.2-857","catch_line":"Judicial review; mandamus","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-857\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":187735,"object_type":"law","relational_id":60240,"identifier":"24.2-304.4","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.4","url":"\/24.2-304.4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-304.4\/","token":"24.2\/3\/2.1\/24.2-304.4","dublin_core":{"Title":"Mandamus action for failure to reapportion districts or wards","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-304.4","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Whenever the governing body of any county, city or town fails to perform the duty of reapportioning the representation on the governing body among the districts or wards of the county, city, or town, or fails to change the boundaries of districts or wards, as prescribed by law<\/span>, mandamus shall lie in favor of any citizen of such county, city, or town, to compel the performance of such duty.\n\t\tWhenever the governing body of any county, city or town changes the boundaries, or increases or diminishes the number of districts or wards, or reapportions the representation in the governing body as prescribed by law<\/span>, the action shall not be subject to judicial review, unless it is alleged that the representation is not proportional to the population of the district or ward. If such allegation<\/span> is made in a bill of complaint<\/span> filed in the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> for the county, city or town, the court<\/span> shall determine whether the action of the governing body complies with the constitutional requirements for redistricting and reapportionment. Appeals<\/span> from the court<\/span>’s decision shall be as in any other suit.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nMANDAMUS ACTION FOR FAILURE TO REAPPORTION DISTRICTS OR WARDS (\u00a7 24.2-304.4)\n\nWhenever the governing body of any county, city or town fails to perform the\nduty of reapportioning the representation on the governing body among the\ndistricts or wards of the county, city, or town, or fails to change the\nboundaries of districts or wards, as prescribed by law, mandamus shall lie in\nfavor of any citizen of such county, city, or town, to compel the performance of\nsuch duty.\n\t\tWhenever the governing body of any county, city or town changes the\nboundaries, or increases or diminishes the number of districts or wards, or\nreapportions the representation in the governing body as prescribed by law, the\naction shall not be subject to judicial review, unless it is alleged that the\nrepresentation is not proportional to the population of the district or ward. If\nsuch allegation is made in a bill of complaint filed in the circuit court for\nthe county, city or town, the court shall determine whether the action of the\ngoverning body complies with the constitutional requirements for redistricting\nand reapportionment. Appeals from the court’s decision shall be as in any\nother suit.\n\nHISTORY: 1995, c. 249.","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}}