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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>71718</law_id><section_number>24.2-307</section_number><catch_line>Requirements for county and city precincts</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>24.2-101</reference><reference>24.2-309.2</reference><reference>24.2-310</reference><reference>24.2-310.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="24.2">Elections</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Election Districts, Precincts, and Polling Places</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Requirements for Election Districts, Precincts, and Polling Places</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The governing body of each county and city shall establish by <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> as many <span class="dictionary">precincts</span> as it deems necessary. Each governing body is authorized to increase or decrease the number of <span class="dictionary">precincts</span> and alter <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> boundaries subject to the requirements of this chapter.
		At the time any <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> is established, it shall have no more than 5,000 <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span>. The <span class="dictionary">general registrar</span> shall notify the governing body whenever the number of voters who voted in a <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> in an election for President of the United States exceeds 4,000. Within six months of receiving the notice, the governing body shall proceed to revise the <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> boundaries, and any newly established or redrawn <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> shall have no more than 5,000 <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span>.
		At the time any <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> is established, each <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> in a county shall have no fewer than 100 <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span> and each <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> in a city shall have no fewer than 500 <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span>.
		Each <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> shall be wholly contained within a single congressional district, Senate district, House of Delegates district, and <span class="dictionary">election district</span> used for the election of one or more members of the governing body or school board for the county or city. In each year ending in one, the governing body of each county and city shall establish the <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> boundaries to be consistent with any congressional district, Senate district, House of Delegates district, and local <span class="dictionary">election district</span> that was adopted by the appropriate authority by June 15 of that year. If congressional districts, Senate districts, House of Delegates districts, or local <span class="dictionary">election districts</span> have not been adopted by the appropriate authority by June 15 of a year ending in one, the governing body may use the congressional districts, Senate districts, House of Delegates districts, or local <span class="dictionary">election districts</span> as such districts existed on June 15 of that year as the basis for establishing the <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> boundaries to be used for the <span class="dictionary">elections</span> to be held in November of that year. Such governing body shall establish <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> boundaries to be consistent with any subsequent changes to the congressional districts, Senate districts, House of Delegates districts, or local <span class="dictionary">election districts</span>. If a governing body is unable to establish a <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> with the minimum number of <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span> without splitting the <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> between two or more congressional districts, Senate districts, House of Delegates districts, or local <span class="dictionary">election districts</span>, it shall apply to the <span class="dictionary">State Board</span> for a <span class="dictionary">waiver</span> to administer a split <span class="dictionary">precinct</span>. The <span class="dictionary">State Board</span> may grant the <span class="dictionary">waiver</span> or direct the governing body to establish a <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> with fewer than the minimum number of <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span> as permitted by &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Establishment of precinct with less than minimum number of voters; conduct of elections where all voters do not have same choice of candidates" href="/24.2-309/">24.2-309</a>. A governing body granted a <span class="dictionary">waiver</span> to administer a split <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> or directed to establish a <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> with fewer than the minimum number of <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span> may use such a <span class="dictionary">precinct</span> for any election held that year.
		The governing body shall establish by <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> one <span class="dictionary">polling place</span> for each <span class="dictionary">precinct</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 24-45, 24-46; 1954, c. 375; 1956, c. 378; 1962, cc. 185, 536; 1970, c. 462, &#xA7;&#xA7; 24.1-36, 24.1-37; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 119; 1976, c. 616; 1977, c. 30; 1978, c. 778; 1980, c. 639; 1992, c. 445; 1993, c. 641; 1999, c. 515; 2020, c. 1268.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
