{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-806.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-806.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-806.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-806.html"}],"law_id":56547,"edition_id":1,"section_id":56547,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-806","catch_line":"Contest of other primaries and elections","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 24-394; 1952, c. 489; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-239; 1981, c. 570; 1987, c. 341; 1993, c. 641; 2019, c. 691.","full_text":"In a primary for the United States House of Representatives, the Virginia Senate, the House of Delegates, or any county, city, town, or district office, or an election to any county, city, town, or district office, the proceeding to contest shall be in the circuit court of the county or city that the challenged candidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification. The proceeding shall be before a special court composed of the chief judge of such circuit court and two circuit court judges of circuits remote from the county or city that such candidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or, in the event of his inability to act, then by the next senior justice, who shall at the time of appointment set the date for trial.\n\t\tIf the chief judge of the circuit court of the city or county that the candidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification is absent, unable to sit in the proceeding, or recuses himself, the clerk of the court shall at once certify that fact to the Chief Justice. Then the Chief Justice or the associate justice acting in his stead shall appoint a third judge, who shall be, if possible, a judge of the same or an adjoining circuit.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":206954,"text":"In a primary for the United States House of Representatives, the Virginia Senate, the House of Delegates, or any county, city, town, or district office, or an election to any county, city, town, or district office, the proceeding to contest shall be in the circuit court of the county or city that the challenged candidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification. The proceeding shall be before a special court composed of the chief judge of such circuit court and two circuit court judges of circuits remote from the county or city that such candidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or, in the event of his inability to act, then by the next senior justice, who shall at the time of appointment set the date for trial.\n\t\tIf the chief judge of the circuit court of the city or county that the candidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification is absent, unable to sit in the proceeding, or recuses himself, the clerk of the court shall at once certify that fact to the Chief Justice. Then the Chief Justice or the associate justice acting in his stead shall appoint a third judge, who shall be, if possible, a judge of the same or an adjoining circuit.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14448,"edition_id":1,"name":"Contested Elections","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14447,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:10","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:10","permalink":{"id":188985,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14448,"identifier":"2","token":"24.2\/8\/2","url":"\/24.2\/8\/2\/","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":68390,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-803","catch_line":"Contest of election to General Assembly","url":"\/24.2-803\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-803","metadata":false},{"id":64477,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-804","catch_line":"Contest of elections of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General","url":"\/24.2-804\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-804","metadata":false},{"id":80204,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-805","catch_line":"Contest of elections of electors for President and Vice President or primaries for United States Senate or statewide office","url":"\/24.2-805\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-805","metadata":false},{"id":56547,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-806","catch_line":"Contest of other primaries and elections","url":"\/24.2-806\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-806","metadata":false},{"id":72272,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-807","catch_line":"Contest only on complaint of unsuccessful party; contents of complaint","url":"\/24.2-807\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-807","metadata":false},{"id":72167,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-808","catch_line":"Time of filing and service of complaint; enlargement or amendment of complaint","url":"\/24.2-808\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-808","metadata":false},{"id":63714,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-809","catch_line":"Filing answer; contents; enlargement or amendment of answer","url":"\/24.2-809\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-809","metadata":false},{"id":85321,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-810","catch_line":"Taking depositions and deciding contests","url":"\/24.2-810\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-810","metadata":false},{"id":55821,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-811","catch_line":"Costs and issuance of certificate of election","url":"\/24.2-811\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-811","metadata":false},{"id":79701,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-812","catch_line":"Proceedings when court decides no valid election has been held","url":"\/24.2-812\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-812","metadata":false},{"id":80837,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-813","catch_line":"Proceedings in contest for nominee","url":"\/24.2-813\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-813","metadata":false},{"id":78511,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-814","catch_line":"Contest following recount","url":"\/24.2-814\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-814","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":80204,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-805","catch_line":"Contest of elections of electors for President and Vice President or primaries for United States Senate or statewide office","url":"\/24.2-805\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-805","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":72272,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-807","catch_line":"Contest only on complaint of unsuccessful party; contents of complaint","url":"\/24.2-807\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-807","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-806\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 6 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 1952, chapter 489; in 1970, chapter 462; in 1981, chapter 570; in 1987, chapter 341; in 1993, chapter 641; in 2019, chapter 691<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":56470,"section_number":"24.2-801","catch_line":"Petition for recount; recount court","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-801\/"},{"id":72272,"section_number":"24.2-807","catch_line":"Contest only on complaint of unsuccessful party; contents of complaint","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-807\/"},{"id":72167,"section_number":"24.2-808","catch_line":"Time of filing and service of complaint; enlargement or amendment of complaint","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-808\/"},{"id":78511,"section_number":"24.2-814","catch_line":"Contest following recount","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-814\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":188999,"object_type":"law","relational_id":56547,"identifier":"24.2-806","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-806","url":"\/24.2-806\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-806\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-806","dublin_core":{"Title":"Contest of other primaries and elections","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-806","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In a primary<\/span> for the United States House of Representatives, the Virginia Senate, the House of Delegates, or any county, city, town, or district office, or an election<\/span> to any county, city, town, or district office, the proceeding to contest shall be in the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of the county or city that the challenged candidate<\/span> listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate<\/span> qualification. The proceeding shall be before a special court<\/span> composed of the chief judge<\/span> of such circuit<\/span> court<\/span> and two circuit<\/span> court<\/span> judges<\/span> of circuits<\/span> remote from the county or city that such candidate<\/span> listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate<\/span> qualification, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia, or, in the event of his inability to act, then by the next senior justice, who shall at the time of appointment set the date for trial<\/span>.\n\t\tIf the chief judge<\/span> of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of the city or county that the candidate<\/span> listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate<\/span> qualification is absent, unable to sit in the proceeding, or recuses<\/span> himself, the clerk of the court<\/span> shall at once certify that fact<\/span> to the Chief Justice. Then the Chief Justice or the associate justice acting in his stead shall appoint a third judge, who shall be, if possible, a judge of the same or an adjoining circuit<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCONTEST OF OTHER PRIMARIES AND ELECTIONS (\u00a7 24.2-806)\n\nIn a primary for the United States House of Representatives, the Virginia\nSenate, the House of Delegates, or any county, city, town, or district office,\nor an election to any county, city, town, or district office, the proceeding to\ncontest shall be in the circuit court of the county or city that the challenged\ncandidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification.\nThe proceeding shall be before a special court composed of the chief judge of\nsuch circuit court and two circuit court judges of circuits remote from the\ncounty or city that such candidate listed as his residency on his certificate of\ncandidate qualification, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of\nVirginia, or, in the event of his inability to act, then by the next senior\njustice, who shall at the time of appointment set the date for trial.\n\t\tIf the chief judge of the circuit court of the city or county that the\ncandidate listed as his residency on his certificate of candidate qualification\nis absent, unable to sit in the proceeding, or recuses himself, the clerk of the\ncourt shall at once certify that fact to the Chief Justice. Then the Chief\nJustice or the associate justice acting in his stead shall appoint a third\njudge, who shall be, if possible, a judge of the same or an adjoining circuit.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 24-394; 1952, c. 489; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-239; 1981, c.\n570; 1987, c. 341; 1993, c. 641; 2019, c. 691.","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}}