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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66471</law_id><section_number>15.2-201</section_number><catch_line>Charter elections; subsequent procedure; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-202</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">General Provisions; Charters; Other Forms and Organization of Counties</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Local Government Charters</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>A <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may provide for holding an election to be conducted as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="How special elections superintended and determined" href="/24.2-681/">24.2-681</a> et seq. of Title 24.2 to determine if the <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> desire that it request the General Assembly to grant to the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> a new charter or to <span class="dictionary">amend</span> its existing charter. At least seven days prior to the holding of such election, public notice shall be given in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Adoption of ordinances and resolutions generally; amending or repealing ordinances" href="/15.2-1427/">15.2-1427</a>.
		If a majority of the <span class="dictionary">voters</span> voting in such election vote in favor of such request, the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> shall transmit two certified copies of the results of such election together with the publisher&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">affidavit</span> and the new charter or the amendments to the existing charter, to one or more members of the General Assembly representing such <span class="dictionary">locality</span> for introduction as a bill in the succeeding session of the General Assembly.
		If a bill incorporating such charter or amendments is not introduced at the succeeding session of the General Assembly, the approval of the <span class="dictionary">voters</span> for such charter or amendments shall be void. If, at such session, members of the General Assembly fail to enact or pass by indefinitely and do not carry over such a bill incorporating such charter or amendments, the charter or amendments shall again be presented to the <span class="dictionary">voters</span> for their approval or submitted to a public <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Public hearing in lieu of election; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly" href="/15.2-202/">15.2-202</a> before reintroduction in the General Assembly.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 15-65.2; 1958, c. 329; 1962, cc. 1, 623, &#xA7; 15.1-834; 1979, c. 297; 1985, c. 387; 1997, c. 587; 2024, cc. 225, 242.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
