{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-808.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-808.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-808.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-808.html"}],"law_id":72167,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72167,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-808","catch_line":"Time of filing and service of complaint; enlargement or amendment of complaint","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 24-434; 1952, c. 489; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-241; 1981, c. 570; 1993, c. 641; 2016, cc. 14, 490.","full_text":"The contestant shall file his complaint in the clerk’s office of the circuit court within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a general election, and within 10 days following the date of the election in case of a primary election or special election held on a date other than that of a general election. A copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant as provided under \u00a7 8.01-296 on each contestee; otherwise the complaint shall not be valid. For a contest conducted pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-806, the copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant on each contestee within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a general election and within 10 days following the date of the election in the case of a primary or special election held on a date other than that of a general election.\n\t\tNo enlargement or amendment of the complaint, except as to form, shall be permitted save by leave of court as provided in Rule 1:8 of the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":259984,"text":"The contestant shall file his complaint in the clerk’s office of the circuit court within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a general election, and within 10 days following the date of the election in case of a primary election or special election held on a date other than that of a general election. A copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant as provided under \u00a7 8.01-296 on each contestee; otherwise the complaint shall not be valid. For a contest conducted pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-806, the copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant on each contestee within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a general election and within 10 days following the date of the election in the case of a primary or special election held on a date other than that of a general election.\n\t\tNo enlargement or amendment of the complaint, except as to form, shall be permitted save by leave of court as provided in Rule 1:8 of the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-808\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\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 1952, chapter 489; in 1970, chapter 462; in 1981, chapter 570; in 1993, chapter 641; in 2016, chapters 14<\/a> and 490<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"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\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":56547,"section_number":"24.2-806","catch_line":"Contest of other primaries and elections","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-806\/"},{"id":57169,"section_number":"8.01-296","catch_line":"Manner of serving process upon natural persons","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-296\/"}],"permalink":{"id":189007,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72167,"identifier":"24.2-808","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-808","url":"\/24.2-808\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-808\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-808","dublin_core":{"Title":"Time of filing and service of complaint; enlargement or amendment of complaint","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-808","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The contestant shall file his complaint in the clerk’s office of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a general election<\/span>, and within 10 days following the date of the election in case of a primary election<\/span> or special election<\/span> held on a date other than that of a general election<\/span>. A copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant as provided under \u00a7 8.01-296<\/a> on each contestee; otherwise the complaint shall not be valid. For a contest conducted pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-806<\/a>, the copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant on each contestee within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a general election<\/span> and within 10 days following the date of the election in the case of a primary or special election<\/span> held on a date other than that of a general election<\/span>.\n\t\tNo enlargement or amendment of the complaint, except as to form, shall be permitted save by leave of court<\/span> as provided in Rule 1:8 of the Rules of Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTIME OF FILING AND SERVICE OF COMPLAINT; ENLARGEMENT OR AMENDMENT OF COMPLAINT\n(\u00a7 24.2-808)\n\nThe contestant shall file his complaint in the clerk’s office of the\ncircuit court within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a\ngeneral election, and within 10 days following the date of the election in case\nof a primary election or special election held on a date other than that of a\ngeneral election. A copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant as\nprovided under \u00a7 8.01-296 on each contestee; otherwise the complaint shall not\nbe valid. For a contest conducted pursuant to \u00a7 24.2-806, the copy of the\ncomplaint shall be served by the contestant on each contestee within 30 days\nfollowing the date of the election in the case of a general election and within\n10 days following the date of the election in the case of a primary or special\nelection held on a date other than that of a general election.\n\t\tNo enlargement or amendment of the complaint, except as to form, shall be\npermitted save by leave of court as provided in Rule 1:8 of the Rules of Supreme\nCourt of Virginia.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 24-434; 1952, c. 489; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-241; 1981, c.\n570; 1993, c. 641; 2016, cc. 14, 490.","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}}