                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

ALTERNATIVE ELECTION OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL AT NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION IN CITIES
AND TOWNS (§ 24.2-222.1)

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7; 24.2-222, and notwithstanding any
contrary provisions of a city or town charter, the council of a city or town may
provide by ordinance that the mayor, if an elected mayor is provided for by
charter, and council shall be elected at the November general election date of
any cycle as designated in the ordinance, for terms to commence January 1. No
such ordinance shall be adopted between January 1 and the May general election
date of the year in which city or town elections regularly are scheduled to be
held therein.

B. Alternatively, the registered voters of a city or town may file a petition
with the circuit court of the city or of the county within which the town is
located asking that a referendum be held on the question of whether the city or
town should elect the mayor, if an elected mayor is provided for by charter, and
council members at the November general election date of any cycle as designated
in the petition. The petition shall be signed by registered voters equal in
number to at least ten percent of the number registered in the city or town on
the January 1 preceding the filing.
			The court, pursuant to &#xA7; 24.2-684, shall order the election officials on
a day fixed in the order to conduct a referendum on the question, provided that
no such referendum shall be scheduled between January 1 and the May general
election date of the year in which city or town elections regularly are
scheduled to be held therein. The clerk of the court shall publish notice of the
referendum once a week for the three consecutive weeks prior to the referendum
in a newspaper having general circulation in the city or town, and shall post a
copy of the notice at the door of the courthouse of the city or county within
which the town is located. The question on the ballot shall be:
			&#8220;Shall the (city or town) change the election date of the mayor (if so
provided by charter) and members of council from the May general election to the
November general election (in even-numbered or odd-numbered years or as
otherwise designated in the petition)?&#8221;
			If members of the school board in the city or town are elected by the voters,
the ballot question also shall state that the change in election date applies to
the election of school board members.
			The referendum shall be held and the results certified as provided in &#xA7;
24.2-684. If a majority of the voters voting in the referendum vote in favor of
the change, the mayor and council thereafter shall be elected at the November
general election date for terms to commence January 1.

C. Except as provided in subsection D, no term of a mayor or member of council
shall be shortened in implementing the change to the November election date.
Mayors and members of council who were elected at a May general election and
whose terms are to expire as of June 30 shall continue in office until their
successors have been elected at the November general election and have been
qualified to serve.

D. In any city or town that elects its council biennially or quadrennially and
that changes to the November general election date in odd-numbered years from
the May general election date in even-numbered years, mayors and members of
council who were elected at a May general election shall have their term of
office shortened by six months but shall continue in office until their
successors have been elected at the November general election and have been
qualified to serve.

HISTORY: 2000, c. 1045; 2002, c. 30; 2016, c. 402.