VIRGINIA BEACH REFERENDUM
ELECTION 2025

Proposed Ballot 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?

THE BOTTOM LINE

  • The 7-3-1 is a hybrid, balanced approach to citizen representation and provides the public greater power as a voter. This version allows you to vote for your district representative — and 3 at-large representatives — plus the mayor.

    Under this scenario, there are 7 single member districts representatives, 3 at-large representatives, and the mayor.

  • The 10-1 system lessens the public’s voting power and representation. The 10-1 system allows you to vote for only 1 council person and the mayor.

Note: this also applies to the School Board as well.

Virginia Beach will be having a referendum vote on how to determine our voting 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 “modified 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 council 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).

What’s this about?

The City has been using a 10-1 election system:

  • 10 council members, each elected only by voters in their own district

  • 1 mayor, elected by the whole city

But the City’s official rules (the Charter) still say it should use a 7-3-1 system:

  • 7 district members, elected by all city voters,

  • 3 at-large members, also elected by all city voters,

  • and the mayor

A 2021 state law said district reps must be elected only by voters in their district, which changes how the 7-3-1 system works. Also, a federal court ruled that the old citywide system hurt minority voters, and told the City to use the 10-1 system.

So the City has used the 10-1 system in both the 2022 and 2024 elections.

What’s the referendum for?

The City wants to fix the mismatch between the Charter and the system it’s actually using.

The proposed referendum would ask voters:

Do you want the Charter changed to match the 10-1 system?

  • Yes = Keep using the 10-1 system and officially update the Charter

  • No = Go back to the modified 7-3-1 system for future elections