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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68277</law_id><section_number>15.2-603</section_number><catch_line>Referendum on election of supervisors by districts or at large</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-602</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="6">County Manager Form of Government</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Adoption of County Manager Form</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> of any <span class="dictionary">county</span> which has adopted the <span class="dictionary">county</span> manager form of government, as provided in Chapter 368 of the Acts of 1932, at an election held for that purpose pursuant to the provisions of said chapter, may by resolution <span class="dictionary">petition</span> the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> requesting that a <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> be held on the following questions: (i) Shall the <span class="dictionary">board of supervisors</span> be elected solely by the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> at large? (ii) Shall the board have in addition to the members from each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the <span class="dictionary">county</span> at large? The <span class="dictionary">court</span>, by <span class="dictionary">order</span> entered of record in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="How referendum elections called and held, and the results ascertained and certified" href="/24.2-684/">24.2-684</a>, shall require the regular election officials on a day fixed in such <span class="dictionary">order</span> to open the polls and take the sense of the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> on the questions submitted as herein provided. The clerk of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> shall cause a notice of such <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> election to be published three times in a newspaper published or having a general circulation in the <span class="dictionary">county</span>, with the first notice appearing no more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days before the <span class="dictionary">referendum</span>. The clerk shall also post a copy of such notice at the door of the courthouse of the <span class="dictionary">county</span>. The ballot used shall be printed to read as follows:
		Shall the <span class="dictionary">board of supervisors</span> be elected by the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of each magisterial or election district, or by the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> at large?
		[ ] By the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of each magisterial or election district.
		[ ] By the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span> at large.
		Shall the board have in addition to the members for each magisterial or election district, one member from any district elected from and representing the <span class="dictionary">county</span> at large?
		[ ] Yes
		[ ] No
		The ballots shall be marked in accordance with the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="How referendum elections called and held, and the results ascertained and certified" href="/24.2-684/">24.2-684</a>.
		The ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in other elections, and the result certified by the electoral board to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the <span class="dictionary">county</span>. The <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall enter of record the <span class="dictionary">fact</span> of which method of election of supervisors has been chosen by a majority of the qualified <span class="dictionary">voters</span> participating in such <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> election, and an election for members of the board by such method in that <span class="dictionary">county</span> shall be held at the next regular November election of such officers, and every four years thereafter.
		In any election pursuant to Chapter 3 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Adoption of optional forms of county government; inconsistent provisions of law" href="/15.2-300/">15.2-300</a> et seq.), the questions provided for in this section shall be submitted to the <span class="dictionary">voters</span>, in addition to the question or questions required by &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Petition or resolution asking for referendum; notice; conduct of election" href="/15.2-301/">15.2-301</a>.</p></section></text><history>1966, c. 531, &#xA7; 15.1-623.1; 1975, c. 517; 1982, c. 32; 1997, c. 587; 2024, cc. 225, 242.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
