VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Virginia Beach city leaders are asking voters to weigh in on the way it elects city council members. The city, in partnership with the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at UVA, is holding a series of community listening sessions between March 25 and April 3.
Before the November 2024 election cycle, the city council has to decide if it wants to stay with its current voting system or go with another option. But before a decision is made, Mayor Bobby Dyer said they want to hear from the public.
“We just want to make sure the public is very much an important part – their voices – a part of this process,” said Dyer.
Currently, the city follows a 10-1 voting system. Under this system, each person votes only for the mayor and the council member for their district.
NAACP Virginia Beach Branch President Dr. Eric Majette said they’re in favor of keeping the current system in place.
“We want to make sure that our citizens have better communication, a direct relationship with those that are actually in their district and representing their district,” Majette said.
The civil rights group is holding a town hall on Tuesday, March 21, at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 965 Baker Road in Virginia Beach at 6:30 p.m.
Majette said the town hall is meant to educate voters on how the current voting system works and how it impacts them. He said the 10-1 election system ensures a diverse number of candidates.
“It has to do with diversity to making sure that those of color have the same opportunities,” he said. “They may not have the amount of resources or funding to run a citywide campaign, that they’re able to run in their local districts and give us an opportunity to be elected as city officials.”
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.
Mayor Dyer said they can’t go back to that system but are researching new ones and could keep the current 10-1 system.
“Is there a better way? Can we still maintain the integrity of district voting but hance it maybe with some at-large? We don’t know yet,” he said.
Dyer said Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, a third-party contractor working with the city, will have alternative election systems by the summer that comply with state and federal law.
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
Community engagement details can be found here.
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.
