{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-800.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-800.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-800.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-800.html"}],"law_id":81202,"edition_id":1,"section_id":81202,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-800","catch_line":"Recounts in all elections","history":"1979, c. 293, \u00a7 24.1-249; 1981, c. 570; 1993, c. 641; 2009, c. 386; 2019, c. 382; 2020, c. 886.","full_text":"A\n\nThe provisions of this article apply to all elections held in the Commonwealth.B\n\nWhen there is between any candidate apparently nominated or elected and any candidate apparently defeated a difference of not more than one percent of the total vote cast for the two such candidates as determined by the State Board or the electoral board, the defeated candidate may appeal from the determination of the State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. When there is between any write-in candidate apparently nominated or elected and any candidate apparently defeated, or between any candidate apparently nominated or elected and any write-in candidate apparently defeated, a difference of not more than five percent of the total vote cast for the two such candidates as determined by the State Board or the electoral board, the defeated candidate may appeal from the determination of the State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. In an election of electors for the President and Vice President of the United States, the presidential candidate shall represent the vice presidential candidate and slate of electors and be the party to the recount for purposes of this article.C\n\nWhen there is between the vote for a question and the vote against a question a difference of not more than 50 votes or one percent of the total vote cast for and against the question as determined by the State Board or the electoral board, whichever is greater, 50 or more voters qualified to vote on the question, by signing and filing their petition, may appeal from the determination of the State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":291045,"text":"The provisions of this article apply to all elections held in the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":291046,"text":"When there is between any candidate apparently nominated or elected and any candidate apparently defeated a difference of not more than one percent of the total vote cast for the two such candidates as determined by the State Board or the electoral board, the defeated candidate may appeal from the determination of the State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. When there is between any write-in candidate apparently nominated or elected and any candidate apparently defeated, or between any candidate apparently nominated or elected and any write-in candidate apparently defeated, a difference of not more than five percent of the total vote cast for the two such candidates as determined by the State Board or the electoral board, the defeated candidate may appeal from the determination of the State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. In an election of electors for the President and Vice President of the United States, the presidential candidate shall represent the vice presidential candidate and slate of electors and be the party to the recount for purposes of this article.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":291047,"text":"When there is between the vote for a question and the vote against a question a difference of not more than 50 votes or one percent of the total vote cast for and against the question as determined by the State Board or the electoral board, whichever is greater, 50 or more voters qualified to vote on the question, by signing and filing their petition, may appeal from the determination of the State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14742,"edition_id":1,"name":"Recounts","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14447,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:40","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:40","permalink":{"id":188955,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14742,"identifier":"1","token":"24.2\/8\/1","url":"\/24.2\/8\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14447,"edition_id":1,"name":"Recounts and Contested Elections","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12937,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:10","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:10","permalink":{"id":188953,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14447,"identifier":"8","token":"24.2\/8","url":"\/24.2\/8\/","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":81202,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-800","catch_line":"Recounts in all elections","url":"\/24.2-800\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-800","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Waldrop v. Commonwealth","case_number":"Record 970160","citation":"495 S.E.2d 822","date":"1998-01-09","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1059948\/waldrop-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 495 S.E.2d 822 (1998) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":56470,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-801","catch_line":"Petition for recount; recount court","url":"\/24.2-801\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-801","metadata":false},{"id":69620,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-801.1","catch_line":"Petition for recount of election for presidential electors; recount court","url":"\/24.2-801.1\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-801.1","metadata":false},{"id":68167,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-802","catch_line":"Recount standards","url":"\/24.2-802\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-802","metadata":false},{"id":60616,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-802.1","catch_line":"Preliminary hearing; court to fix procedure for recount, appoint officers, and supervise the recount","url":"\/24.2-802.1\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-802.1","metadata":false},{"id":62925,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-802.2","catch_line":"General recount procedures","url":"\/24.2-802.2\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-802.2","metadata":false},{"id":62691,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-802.3","catch_line":"Costs of the recount","url":"\/24.2-802.3\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-802.3","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":56470,"structure_id":14742,"section_number":"24.2-801","catch_line":"Petition for recount; recount court","url":"\/24.2-801\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-801","metadata":false},"metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Waldrop v. Commonwealth","case_number":"Record 970160","citation":"495 S.E.2d 822","date":"1998-01-09","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1059948\/waldrop-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 495 S.E.2d 822 (1998) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"}}},"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-800\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 293 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. Unfortunately, the 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 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 1981, chapter 570; in 1993, chapter 641; in 2009, chapter 386<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 382<\/a>; in 2020, chapter 886<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":61543,"section_number":"24.2-101","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-101\/"},{"id":66445,"section_number":"24.2-659","catch_line":"Locking voting systems after election and delivering keys to clerk; printed returns as evidence","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-659\/"},{"id":54119,"section_number":"24.2-669","catch_line":"Clerk to keep ballots; inspection; destruction","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-669\/"},{"id":63223,"section_number":"24.2-671","catch_line":"Electoral board to meet and ascertain results; conclusiveness of results","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-671\/"},{"id":70965,"section_number":"24.2-671.2","catch_line":"Risk-limiting audits","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-671.2\/"},{"id":65316,"section_number":"24.2-673","catch_line":"Candidates having highest number of votes to receive certificate of election","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-673\/"},{"id":80865,"section_number":"24.2-674","catch_line":"Determination by lot in case of tie","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-674\/"},{"id":69620,"section_number":"24.2-801.1","catch_line":"Petition for recount of election for presidential electors; recount court","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-801.1\/"},{"id":86202,"section_number":"8.01-341.1","catch_line":"Exemptions from jury service upon request","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-341.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":188957,"object_type":"law","relational_id":81202,"identifier":"24.2-800","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-800","url":"\/24.2-800\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-800\/","token":"24.2\/8\/1\/24.2-800","dublin_core":{"Title":"Recounts in all elections","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-800","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The provisions of this article apply to all elections<\/span> held in the Commonwealth. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> When there is between any candidate<\/span> apparently nominated or elected and any candidate<\/span> apparently defeated a difference of not more than one percent of the total vote cast for the two such candidates<\/span> as determined by the State Board<\/span> or the electoral board<\/span>, the defeated candidate<\/span> may appeal<\/span> from the determination of the State Board<\/span> or the electoral board<\/span> for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. When there is between any write-in candidate<\/span> apparently nominated or elected and any candidate<\/span> apparently defeated, or between any candidate<\/span> apparently nominated or elected and any write-in candidate<\/span> apparently defeated, a difference of not more than five percent of the total vote cast for the two such candidates<\/span> as determined by the State Board<\/span> or the electoral board<\/span>, the defeated candidate<\/span> may appeal<\/span> from the determination of the State Board<\/span> or the electoral board<\/span> for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. In an election<\/span> of electors for the President and Vice President of the United States, the presidential candidate<\/span> shall represent the vice presidential candidate<\/span> and slate of electors and be the party<\/span> to the recount for purposes of this article. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> When there is between the vote for a question and the vote against a question a difference of not more than 50 votes or one percent of the total vote cast for and against the question as determined by the State Board<\/span> or the electoral board<\/span>, whichever is greater, 50 or more voters qualified to vote on the question, by signing and filing their petition<\/span>, may appeal<\/span> from the determination of the State Board<\/span> or the electoral board<\/span> for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nRECOUNTS IN ALL ELECTIONS (\u00a7 24.2-800)\n\nA. The provisions of this article apply to all elections held in the\nCommonwealth.\n\nB. When there is between any candidate apparently nominated or elected and any\ncandidate apparently defeated a difference of not more than one percent of the\ntotal vote cast for the two such candidates as determined by the State Board or\nthe electoral board, the defeated candidate may appeal from the determination of\nthe State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in\nthis article. When there is between any write-in candidate apparently nominated\nor elected and any candidate apparently defeated, or between any candidate\napparently nominated or elected and any write-in candidate apparently defeated,\na difference of not more than five percent of the total vote cast for the two\nsuch candidates as determined by the State Board or the electoral board, the\ndefeated candidate may appeal from the determination of the State Board or the\nelectoral board for a recount of the vote as set forth in this article. In an\nelection of electors for the President and Vice President of the United States,\nthe presidential candidate shall represent the vice presidential candidate and\nslate of electors and be the party to the recount for purposes of this article.\n\nC. When there is between the vote for a question and the vote against a question\na difference of not more than 50 votes or one percent of the total vote cast for\nand against the question as determined by the State Board or the electoral\nboard, whichever is greater, 50 or more voters qualified to vote on the\nquestion, by signing and filing their petition, may appeal from the\ndetermination of the State Board or the electoral board for a recount of the\nvote as set forth in this article.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 293, \u00a7 24.1-249; 1981, c. 570; 1993, c. 641; 2009, c. 386;\n2019, c. 382; 2020, c. 886.","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}}