Lawmakers press Virginia Beach to keep 10-1 voting system
Virginia Beach, June 2021 (Photo by Sarah Vogelsong/Virginia Mercury)
A push to align Virginia Beach's charter with its new voting system is advancing in the General Assembly, despite ongoing battles and prior opposition from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
House Bill 1687, sponsored by Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler, D-Virginia Beach, cleared the House of Delegates on Friday and now heads to the Senate. The bill would formally allow the city to use the 10-1 voting system, which divides the voting age population into 10 equal districts, to elect the mayor and council representatives.
Virginia Beach first implemented the 10-1 system in November 2022 after a federal court ruling. The city officially adopted it in August 2023 as part of its redistricting ordinance, replacing the previous 7-3-1 system that included three at-large seats.
'We're just trying to bring the charter in alignment,' Convirs-Fowler said during a Jan. 17 House subcommittee hearing.
However, the city council declined to request a charter amendment last fall amid a lawsuit challenging the 10-1 system's legality. Youngkin vetoed a similar bill last year, pointing to the ongoing case.
Court records show that the lawsuit is still pending with no judge assigned. Meanwhile, as Virginia Beach debates its electoral future, other localities, like Arlington County, continue to experiment with voting reforms, including ranked-choice voting.
Some state lawmakers representing Virginia Beach voiced disappointment over the city council's refusal to back a charter amendment, citing strong public support for the 10-1 system.
'The 10-1 system, adopted in response to previous findings of racially polarized voting, is a step forward in protecting the voting strength of underrepresented communities,' wrote Sen. Aaron Rouse and Dels. Alex Askew, Michael Feggans, and Kelly Convirs-Fowler, all Democrats from Virginia Beach, in a joint Nov. 13 letter.
'It has already demonstrated its value in promoting inclusiveness and equity, with the 2022 election ushering in Virginia Beach's most diverse city council in its history.'
A survey by the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia found that 78% of city residents believe the system fairly represents their interests.
Under the proposed bill, elections for Districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 would take place in November 2026, while g voters would elect representatives for Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 and the mayor in November 2028.
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