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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>56470</law_id><section_number>24.2-801</section_number><catch_line>Petition for recount; recount court</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>24.2-802.1</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="8">Recounts and Contested Elections</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Recounts</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for a recount of an election, other than an election for presidential electors, shall be filed within 10 days from the day the <span class="dictionary">State Board</span> or the <span class="dictionary">electoral board</span> certifies the result of the election under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="State Board to meet and make statement as to number of votes" href="/24.2-679/">24.2-679</a> or <a class="law" title="Electoral board to meet and ascertain results; conclusiveness of results" href="/24.2-671/">24.2-671</a>, but not thereafter. The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall be filed in the <span class="dictionary">Circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of the City of Richmond in the case of any statewide office and in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the county or city in which the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> being challenged resides in the case of any other office. The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall be filed in the <span class="dictionary">Circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of the City of Richmond in the case of any statewide <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> and in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of any county or city comprising a part of the <span class="dictionary">election district</span> in the case of any other <span class="dictionary">referendum</span>. <a id="paragraph-206738" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-801/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall set forth the results certified by the <span class="dictionary">State Board</span> or <span class="dictionary">electoral board</span> and shall request the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to have the ballots in the election recounted. <a id="paragraph-206739" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-801/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> In an election for office, a copy of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall be served on the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> apparently nominated or elected as provided under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Manner of serving process upon natural persons" href="/8.01-296/">8.01-296</a> and within 10 days after the <span class="dictionary">State Board</span> or <span class="dictionary">electoral board</span> has certified the results of such election. In a <span class="dictionary">referendum</span>, a copy of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall be so served on the governing body or chief executive officer of the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> in which the election was held. <a id="paragraph-206740" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-801/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> The <span class="dictionary">chief judge</span> of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> in which a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> is filed shall promptly notify the Chief Justice of the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia, who shall designate two other <span class="dictionary">judges</span> to sit with the <span class="dictionary">chief judge</span>, and the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall be constituted and sit in all respects as a <span class="dictionary">court</span> appointed and sitting under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Contest of elections of electors for President and Vice President or primaries for United States Senate or statewide office" href="/24.2-805/">24.2-805</a> and <a class="law" title="Contest of other primaries and elections" href="/24.2-806/">24.2-806</a>. <a id="paragraph-206741" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-801/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 293, &#xA7; 24.1-249; 1981, c. 570; 1993, c. 641; 2003, c. 268; 2014, cc. 540, 576; 2016, c. 464; 2020, c. 886.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
