City of Virginia Beach Educating Voters on Election Referendum

Voters will find a referendum question about Virginia Beach’s election system on the Nov. 4 ballot, and the City of Virginia Beach wants to make sure they are able to cast informed votes. 

The Nov. 4 ballot will include the following question: 

Should the method of city council elections set forth in the Virginia Beach City Charter be changed from a modified 7-3-1 system to a 10-1 system? 

• A “yes” vote means that you support the 10-1 system, which was used in the 2022 and 2024 city council elections. In the 10-1 system, the city is divided into 10 districts and the voters of each district elect a single council member with the mayor elected at-large (city-wide). 
• A “no” vote means you support the 7-3-1 system described in the current city charter as modified by a general law change that occurred in 2021. In the modified 7-3-1 system, the city is divided into 7 districts and the voters of each district elect a single council member, with three other council members and the mayor elected at-large (city-wide). 

Current resources on the Referendum webpage include information explaining the referendum question and why it will be on the ballot, answers to frequently asked questions, recordings of City Council meetings on the referendum and presentation materials shared during Council meetings, resources for individuals and organizations who would like to host their own discussion on the referendum, information translated into Spanish and Tagalog and digital flyers and fact sheets to download and share. 

Additional resources the City plans to provide leading up to the start of early voting on Sept. 19 and voting day on Nov. 4 include:  

• Opportunities to get education materials from staff members in person at local events 
• Videos answering frequently asked questions 

Residents are encouraged to stay informed about the referendum and available resources by signing up for the weekly Be in the Know email newsletter.