VIRGINIA BEACH, Va - The Virginia Beach city council were presented research on the current voting system for how city council members are elected. The system was recently implemented in 2022.
Consultants from the University of Virginia presented their recommendations and research after holding public feedback sessions with residents about the current 10-1 election voting system. They say majority of residents want to keep the current voting system in place.
Currently, the city follows a 10-1 voting system that implemented and used in last year’s 2022 election. Under this system, each person votes only for the mayor and the council member for their district.
The 10-1 system was imposed by the General Assembly during the last election following litigation that played out in the courts.
Under the old, at-large system, voters were able to vote for every candidate who ran for city office regardless of their district.
"The majority of citizens spoke in support of the 10-1 system. They say it’s improved the representatives of city council," one of the consultants said while presenting their research before council.
Councilwoman Sabrina Wooten and the NAACP of Virginia Beach have been in favor of keeping this system, saying that it brings more diversity to council.
Andrew Black, Kara Fitzgibbon and Charles Hartgrove from the University of Virginia School of Law and UVA's Center for Public Service presented research before city council.
UVA consultants presented other options that could be used in the future such as ranked ballot voting where voters rank their choices in numerical order.
The city will have to go to General Assembly and let them know what election system the city plans to use.
Mayor Bobby Dyer says city council will discuss this at their late summer retreat.
