{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/24.2-810.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/24.2-810.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/24.2-810.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/24.2-810.html"}],"law_id":85321,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85321,"structure_id":14448,"section_number":"24.2-810","catch_line":"Taking depositions and deciding contests","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 24-436; 1952, c. 489; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-243; 1981, c. 570; 1993, c. 641.","full_text":"After service of a copy of the complaint and after reasonable notice to the other party or parties, any party shall be authorized to take depositions to sustain or invalidate the election. The proceedings shall take precedence over all other business of the court or of any of the judges and shall be heard and determined as soon as possible. The contest shall be heard and determined without a jury, on the testimony thus taken and on any other legal testimony that may be adduced by any party. In judging the contest, the court shall proceed on the merits thereof and decide the same according to the Constitution and statutes of the Commonwealth.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":305689,"text":"After service of a copy of the complaint and after reasonable notice to the other party or parties, any party shall be authorized to take depositions to sustain or invalidate the election. The proceedings shall take precedence over all other business of the court or of any of the judges and shall be heard and determined as soon as possible. The contest shall be heard and determined without a jury, on the testimony thus taken and on any other legal testimony that may be adduced by any party. In judging the contest, the court shall proceed on the merits thereof and decide the same according to the Constitution and statutes of the Commonwealth.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/24.2-810\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 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.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":189015,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85321,"identifier":"24.2-810","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-810","url":"\/24.2-810\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/24.2-810\/","token":"24.2\/8\/2\/24.2-810","dublin_core":{"Title":"Taking depositions and deciding contests","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 24.2-810","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>After service of a copy of the complaint and after reasonable notice to the other <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span> or parties, any <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span> shall be authorized to take <span class=\"dictionary\">depositions<\/span> to <span class=\"dictionary\">sustain<\/span> or invalidate the <span class=\"dictionary\">election<\/span>. The proceedings shall take precedence over all other business of the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> or of any of the <span class=\"dictionary\">judges<\/span> and shall be heard and determined as soon as possible. The contest shall be heard and determined without a <span class=\"dictionary\">jury<\/span>, on the <span class=\"dictionary\">testimony<\/span> thus taken and on any other legal <span class=\"dictionary\">testimony<\/span> that may be adduced by any <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span>. In judging the contest, the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall proceed on the merits thereof and decide the same according to the Constitution and <span class=\"dictionary\">statutes<\/span> of the Commonwealth.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTAKING DEPOSITIONS AND DECIDING CONTESTS (\u00a7 24.2-810)\n\nAfter service of a copy of the complaint and after reasonable notice to the\nother party or parties, any party shall be authorized to take depositions to\nsustain or invalidate the election. The proceedings shall take precedence over\nall other business of the court or of any of the judges and shall be heard and\ndetermined as soon as possible. The contest shall be heard and determined\nwithout a jury, on the testimony thus taken and on any other legal testimony\nthat may be adduced by any party. In judging the contest, the court shall\nproceed on the merits thereof and decide the same according to the Constitution\nand statutes of the Commonwealth.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 24-436; 1952, c. 489; 1970, c. 462, \u00a7 24.1-243; 1981, c.\n570; 1993, c. 641.","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}}