Community Listening Sessions Scheduled March 25 – April 3 to Gain Resident Input on Future Election System

The City of Virginia Beach, in partnership with the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, will hold a series of community listening sessions between March 25 and April 3. Residents will have an opportunity to provide their input on the City's election system and how they elect their representatives. Feedback will be captured by the event moderators and provided to City Council in a final report.

Following a period of litigation, the 10-1 system was implemented by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed this decision, allowing the City to consider election systems other than the 10-1 system that comply with state and federal law. The Virginia Beach City Council must decide whether to stay with the 10-1 system or consider alternative election systems in time for the 2024 election cycle.

Before deciding on the next steps, City Council wants residents to have an opportunity to provide input on this topic. A series of virtual and in-person meetings have been scheduled at multiple locations throughout the city.

Saturday, March 25 | 5 – 6:30 p.m.
Bayside Rec Center, 4500 First Court Rd.
Seating capacity: 60
Bus route: 29, 0.6 miles away

Sunday, March 26 | 3:30 – 5 p.m.
Virtual Meeting

Monday, March 27 | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Fairfield Elementary School, 5428 Providence Rd.
Seating capacity: 70
Bus route: 24, 1.1 miles away

Tuesday, March 28 | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Ocean Lakes High School, 885 Schuman Dr.
Seating capacity: 100+
Bus route: 33, 1.6 miles away

Wednesday, March 29 |10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Seating capacity: 248
Bus route: 20, 0.2 miles away

Wednesday, March 29 | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Kellam High School, 2665 West Neck Rd.
Seating capacity: 100
Bus route: 33, 1.1 miles away

Thursday, March 30 | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
College Park Elementary School, 1110 Bennington Rd.
Seating capacity: 60+
Bus route: 12, 0.5 miles away

Friday, March 31 | 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Williams Farm Recreation Center, 5252 Learning Cir.
Seating capacity: 60
Bus route: 22, 0.3 miles away

Saturday, April 1 | 4:30 – 6 p.m.
Advanced Technology Center, 1800 College Cres.
Seating capacity: 100
Bus route: 25, 1.4 miles away

Sunday, April 2 | 3 – 4:30 p.m.
Bow Creek Recreation Center, 3427 Club House Rd.
Seating capacity: 60
Bus route: 36, 1.4 miles away
Childcare available for ages six- to 12-years-old

Monday, April 3 | 1 – 2:30 p.m.
Virtual

Monday, April 3 | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
First Colonial High School, 1272 Mill Dam Rd.
Seating capacity: 100
Bus route: 29, 0.4 miles away

Residents are invited to attend any one of the listed meetings that are most convenient for them. Residents will view a short video that will provide a brief background surrounding this issue. All presentation content will be the same, only the location will vary. After each meeting concludes, the session will be available for playback online and on AccessVB (Cox channels 47 and 48, and Verizon channels 45 and 47).

Please note that seating capacity is limited and on a first-come, first served basis. In order to meet fire code regulations, once seating capacity has been met, residents will be asked to join online.

All meetings will be live-streamed through the City's public engagement portal, SpeakUpVB.com.

Following the community listening sessions, a survey will be made available to all Virginia Beach residents to provide input about their experience with our election system, administered by the Weldon Cooper Center's Center for Survey Research. More details about the survey and how to access it will be published at a later date.

Residents are encouraged to prepare for the listening sessions by visiting www.vbgov.com/vb10 to watch presentations by Deputy City Attorney Christopher Boynton regarding the recent redistricting. More information about the litigation that brought the changes to our election system can be found at www.VBgov.com/electionchanges.