Virginia Beach's District-Based Election System Approved

The city's transition to a council with single-member districts is now official after passage of bills in the General Assembly.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Virginia General Assembly has passed two bills amending Virginia Beach's city charter to officially reflect the city's transition to a council consisting solely of single-member districts, rather than an at-large system. The change, which was approved by voters in a November referendum, takes effect immediately due to an emergency clause.

Why it matters

This change to Virginia Beach's election system was driven by a federal lawsuit claiming the previous at-large voting system was discriminatory. The new district-based system is intended to ensure fairer representation and accountability on the city council.

The details

Under the new 10-1 system, the mayor is elected citywide, but the 10 council members are each elected only by residents in their respective districts. This method was used in the 2022 and 2024 city council elections, but the city's charter had not been officially updated to reflect the change until now.

  • The General Assembly passed the bills amending the city charter on March 10, 2026.
  • The change takes effect immediately due to an emergency clause signed by the governor.
  • A referendum vote approving the district-based election system was held in Virginia Beach in November.

The players

Sen. Aaron Rouse

The sponsor of the bills that officially codified Virginia Beach's district-based election system into law.

Latasha Holloway

A community advocate who sued the city in 2017, claiming its former at-large voting system was discriminatory.

Georgia Allen

A community advocate who sued the city in 2017, claiming its former at-large voting system was discriminatory.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger

The governor who amended the bills with an emergency clause, allowing the charter change to take effect immediately.

Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin

The previous governor who twice vetoed a charter amendment request to enshrine the district-based election system, citing a pending lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“The passage of SB681/HB187 exemplifies the positive impact of communities choosing collaboration over division and progress over stagnation.”

— Sen. Aaron Rouse, Bill Sponsor (pilotonline.com)

“Their voices and dedication played a pivotal role in advancing this issue and ensuring that fairness, accountability, and representation remained at the forefront.”

— Sen. Aaron Rouse, Bill Sponsor (pilotonline.com)

What’s next

Six city council seats in districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10 are up for election in November 2026 under the new district-based system.

The takeaway

This change to Virginia Beach's election system, driven by a federal lawsuit and approved by voters, is intended to ensure fairer representation and accountability on the city council by moving to a district-based system rather than an at-large model.