                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

REFERENDUM ON ELECTION OF SUPERVISORS BY DISTRICTS OR AT LARGE (§ 15.2-603)

The governing body of any county which has adopted the county 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
petition the circuit court of the county requesting that a referendum be held on
the following questions: (i) Shall the board of supervisors be elected solely by
the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district, or by the
qualified voters of the county 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 county at large? The court, by order
entered of record in accordance with § 24.2-684, shall require the regular
election officials on a day fixed in such order to open the polls and take the
sense of the qualified voters of the county on the questions submitted as herein
provided. The clerk of the circuit court of the county shall cause a notice of
such referendum election to be published three times in a newspaper published or
having a general circulation in the county, with the first notice appearing no
more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days
before the referendum. The clerk shall also post a copy of such notice at the
door of the courthouse of the county. The ballot used shall be printed to read
as follows:
		Shall the board of supervisors be elected by the qualified voters of each
magisterial or election district, or by the qualified voters of the county at
large?
		[ ] By the qualified voters of each magisterial or election district.
		[ ] By the qualified voters of the county 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 county at large?
		[ ] Yes
		[ ] No
		The ballots shall be marked in accordance with the provisions of § 24.2-684.
		The ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in other
elections, and the result certified by the electoral board to the circuit court
of the county. The circuit court shall enter of record the fact of which method
of election of supervisors has been chosen by a majority of the qualified voters
participating in such referendum election, and an election for members of the
board by such method in that county shall be held at the next regular November
election of such officers, and every four years thereafter.
		In any election pursuant to Chapter 3 (§ 15.2-300 et seq.), the questions
provided for in this section shall be submitted to the voters, in addition to
the question or questions required by § 15.2-301.

HISTORY: 1966, c. 531, § 15.1-623.1; 1975, c. 517; 1982, c. 32; 1997, c. 587;
2024, cc. 225, 242.