{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-686.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-686.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-686.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-686.html"}],"law_id":67928,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67928,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-686","catch_line":"Special elections; petition and referendum requirements; abolition of constitutional office by change in form of government","history":"1995, cc. 761, 808, 825.","full_text":"The provisions of \u00a7 24.2-685 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to any county seeking to change its form of government pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300 et seq.) of Title 15.2 if the effect of such change in form would be the abolition of an existing office created pursuant to Section 4 of Article VII of the Constitution of Virginia. In such case, the circuit court may order a referendum under \u00a7 15.2-301 only if requested by a voter petition meeting the requirements of \u00a7 24.2-685. In such case, a question in substantially the following form shall be listed first on the ballot and be followed by those provided in \u00a7 15.2-301:\n\t\t“Shall the County of ______________ be authorized to change its form of government to one which would eliminate the elected office(s) of ______________?”\n\t\tAn affirmative vote on the subsequent question or questions on the ballot shall be given effect only if a majority of those voting in the referendum have voted affirmatively on the first question to authorize such a change in the form of government.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":246023,"text":"The provisions of \u00a7 24.2-685 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to any county seeking to change its form of government pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300 et seq.) of Title 15.2 if the effect of such change in form would be the abolition of an existing office created pursuant to Section 4 of Article VII of the Constitution of Virginia. In such case, the circuit court may order a referendum under \u00a7 15.2-301 only if requested by a voter petition meeting the requirements of \u00a7 24.2-685. In such case, a question in substantially the following form shall be listed first on the ballot and be followed by those provided in \u00a7 15.2-301:\n\t\t“Shall the County of ______________ be authorized to change its form of government to one which would eliminate the elected office(s) of ______________?”\n\t\tAn affirmative vote on the subsequent question or questions on the ballot shall be given effect only if a majority of those voting in the referendum have voted affirmatively on the first question to authorize such a change in the form of government.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15255,"edition_id":1,"name":"Special Elections","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13022,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:23","permalink":{"id":188821,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15255,"identifier":"5","token":"24.2\/6\/5","url":"\/24.2\/6\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13022,"edition_id":1,"name":"The Election","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12937,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:09","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:09","permalink":{"id":188395,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13022,"identifier":"6","token":"24.2\/6","url":"\/24.2\/6\/","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":58078,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-681","catch_line":"How special elections superintended and determined","url":"\/24.2-681\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-681","metadata":false},{"id":77612,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-682","catch_line":"Times for special elections","url":"\/24.2-682\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-682","metadata":false},{"id":62176,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-683","catch_line":"Writ for special election to fill a vacancy","url":"\/24.2-683\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-683","metadata":false},{"id":82479,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-684","catch_line":"How referendum elections called and held, and the results ascertained and certified","url":"\/24.2-684\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-684","metadata":false},{"id":61714,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-684.1","catch_line":"Requirements for voter petitions to call for referendum elections","url":"\/24.2-684.1\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-684.1","metadata":false},{"id":86439,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-685","catch_line":"Special elections; request for abolition of constitutional offices","url":"\/24.2-685\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-685","metadata":false},{"id":67928,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-686","catch_line":"Special elections; petition and referendum requirements; abolition of constitutional office by change in form of government","url":"\/24.2-686\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-686","metadata":false},{"id":73402,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-687","catch_line":"Authorization for distribution of information on referendum elections","url":"\/24.2-687\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-687","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":86439,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-685","catch_line":"Special elections; request for abolition of constitutional offices","url":"\/24.2-685\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-685","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":73402,"structure_id":15255,"section_number":"24.2-687","catch_line":"Authorization for distribution of information on referendum elections","url":"\/24.2-687\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-687","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-686\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1995. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 761<\/a>, 808<\/a>, and 825<\/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":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\/"}],"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":86439,"section_number":"24.2-685","catch_line":"Special elections; request for abolition of constitutional offices","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-685\/"}],"permalink":{"id":188847,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67928,"identifier":"24.2-686","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-686","url":"\/24.2-686\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-686\/","token":"24.2\/6\/5\/24.2-686","dublin_core":{"Title":"Special elections; petition and referendum requirements; abolition of constitutional office by change in form of government","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-686","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The provisions of \u00a7 24.2-685<\/a> shall apply, mutatis mutandis<\/span>, to any county seeking to change its form of government pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300<\/a> et seq.) of Title 15.2 if the effect of such change in form would be the abolition of an existing office created pursuant to Section 4 of Article VII of the Constitution of Virginia. In such case, the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> may order<\/span> a referendum<\/span> under \u00a7 15.2-301<\/a> only if requested by a voter petition<\/span> meeting the requirements of \u00a7 24.2-685<\/a>. In such case, a question in substantially the following form shall be listed first on the ballot and be followed by those provided in \u00a7 15.2-301<\/a>:\n\t\t“Shall the County of ______________ be authorized to change its form of government to one which would eliminate the elected office(s) of ______________?”\n\t\tAn affirmative vote on the subsequent question or questions on the ballot shall be given effect only if a majority of those voting in the referendum<\/span> have voted affirmatively on the first question to authorize such a change in the form of government.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSPECIAL ELECTIONS; PETITION AND REFERENDUM REQUIREMENTS; ABOLITION OF\nCONSTITUTIONAL OFFICE BY CHANGE IN FORM OF GOVERNMENT (\u00a7 24.2-686)\n\nThe provisions of \u00a7 24.2-685 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to any county\nseeking to change its form of government pursuant to Chapter 3 (\u00a7 15.2-300 et\nseq.) of Title 15.2 if the effect of such change in form would be the abolition\nof an existing office created pursuant to Section 4 of Article VII of the\nConstitution of Virginia. In such case, the circuit court may order a referendum\nunder \u00a7 15.2-301 only if requested by a voter petition meeting the requirements\nof \u00a7 24.2-685. In such case, a question in substantially the following form\nshall be listed first on the ballot and be followed by those provided in \u00a7\n15.2-301:\n\t\t“Shall the County of ______________ be authorized to change its form of\ngovernment to one which would eliminate the elected office(s) of\n______________?”\n\t\tAn affirmative vote on the subsequent question or questions on the ballot\nshall be given effect only if a majority of those voting in the referendum have\nvoted affirmatively on the first question to authorize such a change in the form\nof government.\n\nHISTORY: 1995, cc. 761, 808, 825.","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}}