                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

REDISTRICTING AND ELECTIONS IN CITY OR TOWN FOLLOWING ANNEXATION; REGISTRATION
AND TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION OF VOTERS IN ANNEXED TERRITORY (§ 15.2-3226)

A. Whenever the boundaries of a city or town, which elects its council by wards
or districts, have been expanded through annexation, subject to the provisions
of &#xA7; 24.2-304.1, the council of the city or town shall redistrict the
municipality into wards or districts, change the boundaries of existing wards or
districts, or increase or diminish the number of wards or districts to
incorporate the additional territory.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7; 24.2-312, there shall be an election
for members of council on the first Tuesday in May following the effective date
of annexation for terms to commence on July 1 following the election; however,
upon the approval of the governing bodies affected and the special court, such
election may be on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November following the
effective date of annexation for terms to commence on January 1 following the
election. If council members are chosen on an at-large basis the election shall
be held for the unexpired portion of the term of each council member whose term
extends beyond July 1 immediately following the effective date of annexation. If
council members are chosen on a ward basis, the election shall be held for each
ward affected by the annexation. However, no such election shall be held as a
result of an annexation instituted under &#xA7; 15.2-3202 or &#xA7; 15.2-3203,
unless the city or town increases its population by more than five percent due
to the annexation.

C. The registration records of voters residing in the annexed areas shall be
transferred, and the appropriate notice given, in accordance with &#xA7;
24.2-114. Any person residing in the annexed territory who has not registered
shall be entitled to register and vote in the city or town if he would have been
entitled to register and vote at the next election of the county.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 15-152.24; 1952, c. 328; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-1054;
1970, c. 172; 1974, c. 401; 1976, c. 9; 1977, c. 307; 1994, c. 293; 1997, c.
587; 2001, Sp. Sess. I, c. 3.