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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72167</law_id><section_number>24.2-808</section_number><catch_line>Time of filing and service of complaint; enlargement or amendment of complaint</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>24.2-807</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="2">Contested Elections</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The contestant shall file his complaint in the clerk&#x2019;s office of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a <span class="dictionary">general election</span>, and within 10 days following the date of the election in case of a <span class="dictionary">primary election</span> or <span class="dictionary">special election</span> held on a date other than that of a <span class="dictionary">general election</span>. A copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant as provided under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Manner of serving process upon natural persons" href="/8.01-296/">8.01-296</a> on each contestee; otherwise the complaint shall not be valid. For a contest conducted pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Contest of other primaries and elections" href="/24.2-806/">24.2-806</a>, the copy of the complaint shall be served by the contestant on each contestee within 30 days following the date of the election in the case of a <span class="dictionary">general election</span> and within 10 days following the date of the election in the case of a primary or <span class="dictionary">special election</span> held on a date other than that of a <span class="dictionary">general election</span>.
		No enlargement or amendment of the complaint, except as to form, shall be permitted save by leave of <span class="dictionary">court</span> as provided in Rule 1:8 of the Rules of Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 24-434; 1952, c. 489; 1970, c. 462, &#xA7; 24.1-241; 1981, c. 570; 1993, c. 641; 2016, cc. 14, 490.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
