A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-1400 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal the second enactment of Chapter 103 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I, relating to elections; time of certain local elections.
HB51 changes the timing rules for certain local elections in Virginia. It amends § 15.2-1400 to preserve the requirement that, beginning with elections held after January 1, 2022, elections for mayor, local governing body members, and elected school board members are held at the November general election for terms beginning January 1. It also repeals a 2021 enactment that had governed the transition to November elections.
The bill further gives certain cities and towns a limited option to move those elections back to the May general election. This option applies to localities that, between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2026, adopted an ordinance transitioning from May to November elections, or that had the same change made through a General Assembly charter amendment between 2022 and 2026. The bill does not change who may vote or who may serve; it changes when local elections are held and, for district- or ward-based seats, confirms that those seats are elected only by voters in the relevant district or ward.
HB51 would affect Virginia’s local election calendar and related charter or ordinance provisions for cities and towns. It would repeal a prior transitional enactment from 2021 and create a statutory pathway for certain localities to return municipal, governing body, and school board elections from November back to May. The bill would therefore alter election administration for affected local governments, election officials, and candidates, while leaving the basic structure of local governing bodies and residency-based district elections intact.
Based on the available record, there is no committee transcript or vote history showing debate, amendments, or a recorded position on the bill. The only clear procedural signal is that HB51 was left in the House Committee on Privileges and Elections, which suggests it did not advance out of committee. Because no discussion or votes are provided, the overall sentiment cannot be measured directly from the record.
The main policy issue appears to be the timing of local elections: whether cities and towns should continue holding mayoral, council, and school board elections in November or be allowed to revert to May. The bill also raises a structural question about how much flexibility localities should have to undo earlier election-calendar changes made by ordinance or charter amendment. Any contention would likely be between supporters of local control and those favoring a uniform November election schedule, but the provided materials do not identify specific speakers or groups taking those positions.