Virginia House of Delegates

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Virginia House of
Delegates
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Democrat
Session start:[1]   January 8, 2020
Session end:[1]   March 12, 2020
Term length:   2 years
Term limits:   None
Redistricting:  Legislative control
Salary:   $17,640/year + per diem
Members
Total:  100
Democrats:  55
Republicans:  44
Other:  0
Vacancies:  1
Leadership
Speaker:   Eileen Filler-Corn (D)
Maj. Leader:   Charniele Herring (D)
Min. Leader:   C. Todd Gilbert (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 5, 2019
Next election:  November 2, 2021

The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower chamber of the Virginia General Assembly. Alongside the Virginia State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Virginia state government and works alongside the governor of Virginia to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Virginia House of Delegates include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Virginia House of Delegates meets in the state capitol building in Richmond, Virginia.

  • All 100 seats were up for election in 2019. Click to read more »
  • In the 2019 elections, Democrats won control of the chamber with a 55-45 majority.
  • Virginia has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of November 15, 2020, there are 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control. In the 2020 election, Republicans had a net gain of two trifectas and two states under divided government became trifectas. Prior to that election, Virginia had a Democratic trifecta.
  • This page contains the following information on the Virginia House of Delegates.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Virginia House of Delegates as of November 2020: The following figures are from before the November 2020 election. Click here to see our election results coverage.

    Party As of November 2020
         Democratic Party 55
         Republican Party 44
         Vacancies 1
    Total 100

    Members

    Leadership

    The speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. Duties of the speaker include assigning bills to committee and appointing the membership of standing committees.[2][3]

    Current leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    Virginia House of Delegates District 44 Paul Krizek Democratic 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 13 Danica Roem Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 100 Robert Bloxom Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 22 Kathy Byron Republican 1998
    Virginia House of Delegates District 63 Lashrecse Aird Democratic 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 78 Jay Leftwich Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 72 Schuyler VanValkenburg Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 59 Matt Fariss Republican 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 97 Scott Wyatt Republican January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 52 Luke Torian Democratic 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 91 Martha Mugler Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 88 Mark Cole Republican 2002
    Virginia House of Delegates District 31 Elizabeth Guzman Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 38 Kaye Kory Democratic 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 35 Mark Keam Democratic 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 47 Patrick Hope Democratic 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 93 Michael P. Mullin Democratic 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 23 Wendell Walker Republican January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 29 Vacant
    Virginia House of Delegates District 50 Lee Carter Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 39 Vivian Watts Democratic 1996
    Virginia House of Delegates District 10 Wendy Gooditis Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 19 Terry Austin Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 17 Chris Head Republican 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 68 Dawn Adams Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 21 Kelly Convirs-Fowler Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 20 John Avoli Republican January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 11 S. Rasoul Democratic 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 65 Lee Ware Republican 1998
    Virginia House of Delegates District 96 Amanda Batten Republican January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 41 Eileen Filler-Corn Democratic 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 27 Roxann Robinson Republican 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 94 Shelly Simonds Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 18 Michael Webert Republican 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 7 Larry Rush Republican 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 9 Charles Poindexter Republican 2008
    Virginia House of Delegates District 46 Charniele Herring Democratic 2009
    Virginia House of Delegates District 45 Mark Levine Democratic 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 12 Chris Hurst Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 87 Suhas Subramanyam Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 49 Alfonso Lopez Democratic 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 56 John McGuire Republican 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 90 Joseph Lindsey Democratic 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 71 Jeff Bourne Democratic 2017
    Virginia House of Delegates District 77 Cliff Hayes Democratic 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 53 Marcus Simon Democratic 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 58 Rob Bell Republican 2002
    Virginia House of Delegates District 83 Nancy Guy Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 2 Jennifer Foy Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 40 Dan Helmer Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 95 Marcia Price Democratic 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 34 Kathleen J. Murphy Democratic 2015
    Virginia House of Delegates District 42 Kathy Tran Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 54 Bobby Orrock Republican 1990
    Virginia House of Delegates District 76 Clinton Jenkins Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 55 Buddy Fowler Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 84 Glenn Davis Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 62 Carrie Coyner Republican January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 33 Dave LaRock Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 4 William Wampler III Republican January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 28 Joshua Cole Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 57 Sally Hudson Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 26 Tony Wilt Republican 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 80 Don Scott Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 92 Jeion Ward Democratic 2004
    Virginia House of Delegates District 30 Nick Freitas Republican 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 15 Todd Gilbert Republican 2006
    Virginia House of Delegates District 66 Kirk Cox Republican 1990
    Virginia House of Delegates District 99 Margaret Ransone Republican 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 24 Ronnie Campbell Republican 2019
    Virginia House of Delegates District 75 Roz Tyler Democratic 2006
    Virginia House of Delegates District 79 Steve Heretick Democratic 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 36 Ken Plum Democratic 1982
    Virginia House of Delegates District 70 Delores McQuinn Democratic 2009
    Virginia House of Delegates District 73 Rodney Willett Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 14 Danny Marshall Republican 2002
    Virginia House of Delegates District 61 Tommy Wright Republican 2001
    Virginia House of Delegates District 8 Joseph McNamara Republican 2019
    Virginia House of Delegates District 25 Chris Runion Republican January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 85 Alex Askew Democratic January 8, 2020
    Virginia House of Delegates District 6 Jeffrey Campbell Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 60 James Edmunds II Republican 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 86 Ibraheem Samirah Democratic February 20, 2019
    Virginia House of Delegates District 5 Israel O'Quinn Republican 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 89 Jerrauld Jones Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 3 James Morefield Republican 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 1 Terry Kilgore Republican 1994
    Virginia House of Delegates District 51 Hala Ayala Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 32 David Reid Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 67 Karrie Delaney Democratic 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 16 Les Adams Republican 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 74 Lamont Bagby Democratic 2015
    Virginia House of Delegates District 48 R.C. Sullivan, Jr. Democratic 2014
    Virginia House of Delegates District 81 Barry Knight Republican 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 98 Keith Hodges Republican 2012
    Virginia House of Delegates District 69 Betsy Carr Democratic 2010
    Virginia House of Delegates District 64 Emily Brewer Republican 2018
    Virginia House of Delegates District 82 Jason Miyares Republican 2016
    Virginia House of Delegates District 37 David Bulova Democratic 2006
    Virginia House of Delegates District 43 Mark Sickles Democratic 2004


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislators
    SalaryPer diem
    $18,000/year for the Senate; $17,640/year for the House$213/day

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Virginia legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    Candidates for the House of Delegates must be qualified to vote, have been a resident of Virginia for one year immediately preceding the election, and be a resident of the city or town in which they file for election.[4]

    Historical party control

    Between 1991 and 2017, partisan control of the Virginia House of Delegates shifted in favor of the Republican Party and then began moving back toward the Democratic Party. As a result of the 1991 elections, Democrats held a 52-47 majority. Republicans gained control of the chamber in 1999 and, by 2015, expanded their majority to 66-34. In the 2017 elections, the chamber's partisan balance swung back toward the Democrats as they gained 15 seats and narrowed the Republican majority to 51-49.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Virginia House of Delegates following every general election from 1991 to 2017. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Virginia House of Delegates Party Control: 1991-2017

    Year '91 '93 '95 '97 '99 '01 '03 '05 '07 '09 '11 '13 '15 '17
    Democrats 52 52 52 50 47 31 37 39 44 39 32 33 34 49
    Republicans 47 47 47 49 52 67 61 58 54 59 67 67 66 51

    Republicans began making gains in the state House after the 1997 elections, when they picked up two seats. The chamber moved to a 52-47 Republican majority after the 1999 elections. The largest Republican gains in the state House occurred as a result of the 2001 elections, when the party expanded its majority by 15 seats. Democrats gained 13 seats between 2003 and 2007. In 2011, Republicans gained eight seats, moving the chamber to a 67-32 Republican majority.

    In the 2017 elections, Democrats picked up 15 seats and nearly forced a 50-50 split in the chamber. The race for District 94 was an exact tie between Delegate David Yancey (R) and Shelly Simonds (D). A random drawing was held to select the winner and Yancey won.

    Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 67 of the 100 members in the Virginia House of Delegates and 27 of the 40 members in the Virginia State Senate.

    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats held a trifecta in Virginia from 1992 to 1993. Republicans held trifectas from 2000 to 2001 and 2012 to 2013. With the election of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in 2013, Virginia began operating under a divided government in 2014.

    Virginia Party Control: 1992-2020
    Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
    Governor D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D
    Senate D D D D S S R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R D R R R R R D
    House D D D D D D S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Virginia state delegates serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Virginia holds elections for its legislature in odd years.

    2019

    See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2019

    Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2019. The primary was on June 11, 2019, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was March 28, 2019.

    Virginia House of Delegates
    Party As of November 5, 2019 After November 6, 2019
         Democratic Party 49 55
         Republican Party 51 45
    Total 100 100

    2017

    See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2017

    Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2017. All 100 house seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for primary election candidates was March 30, 2017. The filing deadline for non-party candidates and candidates nominated by methods other than a primary was June 13, 2017.[5]


    Virginia House of Delegates
    Party Before November 7, 2017 After November 7, 2017
         Democratic Party 34 49
         Republican Party 66 51
    Total 100 100

    2015

    See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2015

    Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015.[6]

    Heading into the election, Republicans held a 67-33 majority. Republicans lost one seat in the election, giving them a 66-34 majority.

    Virginia House of Delegates
    Party As of November 3, 2015 After November 3, 2015
         Democratic Party 33 34
         Republican Party 67 66
    Total 100 100

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Virginia General Assembly, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat. If the vacancy occurs while the legislature is in session, the presiding officer of the house in which the vacancy happens must call for a special election. If the vacancy occurs while the legislature is in recess, the governor shall call the special election. All special elections must be held promptly. However, no special election can be held if it occurs less than 55 days before any statewide primary or general election or if there are fewer than 75 days remaining in the vacated term.[13]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Virginia Code § 24.2-216

    District map

    See also: Virginia state legislative districts

    The state of Virginia has 100 state House districts. Each district elects one delegate.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Virginia

    In 37 states, legislatures are primarily responsible for drawing congressional district lines. Seven states have only one congressional district each, rendering congressional redistricting unnecessary. Four states employ independent commissions to draw the district maps. In two states, politician commissions draw congressional district lines.

    State legislative district lines are primarily the province of the state legislatures themselves in 37 states. In seven states, politician commissions draw state legislative district lines. In the remaining six states, independent commissions draw the lines.[14]

    In Virginia, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are set by the Virginia General Assembly. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[15]

    In 2011, by executive order, Governor Bob McDonnell (R) established an advisory commission "to solicit public input and recommend congressional and state legislative districts to the legislature." The legislature was not bound by the commission's recommendations and could adopt, amend, or discard those recommendations. The commission comprised 11 members. The governor appointed five members from each of the state's major political parties. These commissioners were not permitted to have held elected office within the preceding five-year period, nor could they be employees of Congress or the state legislature. The governor also appointed a commission chair "who [had] not held public or party office and [was] not 'identifiable with' any party."[15]

    The Virginia Constitution requires that congressional and state legislative districts be compact and contiguous.[15]

    The legislative redistricting committees adopted additional redistricting guidelines in 2011, but these were nonbinding.[15]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Virginia after the 2020 census

    Upon completion of the 2020 census, Virginia will draft and enact new district maps. As of October 8, 2018, redistricting authorities in Virginia had not released a projected timeline for the 2020 cycle.[16]

    2010

    Virginia received its local census data on February 3, 2011. The state grew by 13 percent from 2000 to 2010; its growth mostly occurred in the northeastern part of the state, while declines ranging up to -13.4 percent occurred in counties along the southern and western edges. Loudoun County stood out with an 84.1 percent increase. Growth in the largest cities was less generous: Virginia Beach grew by 3.0 percent, Norfolk grew by 3.6 percent, Chesapeake grew by 11.6 percent, Richmond grew by 3.2 percent and Newport News grew by 0.3 percent.[17]

    The Assembly was split going into redistricting; Republicans controlled the House, and Democrats controlled the Senate. The House set a 1% standard for allowance of deviation from the ideal district size (88,900 people), while the Senate passed a 2% standard (200,000 being the ideal size). The Senate and House reached a verbal agreement that the houses would draw their own lines and not interfere with the other's.

    The House and Senate approved their maps on April 6 and 7, 2011, respectively. While the House had an overwhelming 86-8 vote, the Senate went along party lines 22-18. Governor Bob McDonnell vetoed the maps on April 15, citing concerns about the increase in the number of divided communities, the Senate plan's higher deviation standard, and the partisan vote in the Senate.

    The House quickly returned and passed revisions that rejoined several divided districts; Senate Democrats initially would not budge, but the chamber eventually worked out a compromise (passing on a 32-5 vote) that split Virginia Beach, reduced the number of splits in Prince William County, and split the College of William & Mary from Thomas Norment's district. McDonnell signed the revised plan on April 29, 2011.

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Virginia House of Delegates has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the House to the Senate and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Virginia by year

    2020

    See also: 2020 Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions

    In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2020 and adjourn on March 12, 2020.

    Impact of coronavirus pandemic

    See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
    Covid vnt.png
    Coronavirus pandemic
    Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.


    Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Virginia General Assembly adjourned its regular session on March 12, 2020. A special session convened on August 18, 2020.

    2019

    See also: 2019 Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions

    In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2019, through February 24, 2019.

    2018

    See also: 2018 Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions

    In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2018, through March 10, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here.

    2017

    See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions

    In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 11, 2017, through February 25, 2017. The legislature held a veto session on April 5.


    About legislative sessions in Virginia

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[26] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the Virginia Constitution establishes when the Virginia General Assembly, of which the House of Delegates is a part, is to be in session. Section 6 of Article IV states that the General Assembly is to convene annually on the second Wednesday in January. In even-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to sixty days. In odd-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to thirty days. Section 6 allows the General Assembly to extend its regular sessions by thirty days if two-thirds of each house vote to extend the session.

    Section 6 allows the Governor of Virginia to convene special sessions of the General Assembly. Section 6 also allows for a special session to be called when it is requested by two-thirds of the members of each house.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Virginia are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 67 of the 100 members in the Virginia House of Delegates and 27 of the 40 members in the Virginia State Senate. Virginia is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    According to Article IV, Section 6 of the Virginia Constitution, the legislature shall automatically reconvene in a special veto session six weeks after the adjournment of the regular session to consider veto overrides. The session lasts for three days unless a majority of members in both chambers vote to extend it for a period no longer than seven days.

    Authority: Article V, Section 6 of the Virginia Constitution.

    "(ii) The Governor may veto the bill if he objects to it by returning the bill with his objections to the house in which the bill originated. The house shall enter the objections in its journal and reconsider the bill. The house may override the veto by a two-thirds vote of the members present, which two-thirds shall include a majority of the members elected to that house. If the house of origin overrides the Governor's veto, it shall send the bill and Governor's objections to the other house where the bill shall be reconsidered. The second house may override the Governor's veto by a two-thirds vote of the members present, which two-thirds shall include a majority of the members elected to that house. If both houses override the Governor's veto, the bill shall become law without his signature."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Virginia state budget and finances
    Virginia on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[27][28]

    1. Budget instruction guidelines are sent to state agencies in April and August.
    2. State agency budget requests are submitted in June and October.
    3. Agency hearings are held in September and October.
    4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Virginia General Assembly by December 20.
    5. The General Assembly holds public hearings in January.
    6. The General Assembly adopts a budget in March or April. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
    7. The biennial budget cycle begins in July.

    Virginia is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[28]

    Though the governor and General Assembly are not required by law to submit or pass a balanced budget, the Virginia Constitution does require the budget to be balanced before the governor signs it into law.[28]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Virginia state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Virginia House of Delegates has 14 standing committees:

    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods in which the Virginia Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XII of the Virginia Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Virginia

    The Virginia Constitution can be amended through two different paths:

    • These can be proposed in either house of the Virginia General Assembly.
    • If a proposed amendment is approved by a simple majority vote in one session of the state legislature, it is automatically referred to the next session of the state legislature that occurs after the next general election of members of the Virginia House of Delegates.
    • If, in that second session, the proposed amendment is "agreed to by a majority of all the members elected to each house," it is then placed before the state's voters.
    • It can go on a special or general election ballot.
    • If approved by a simple majority vote, it becomes part of the state's constitution.
    • A convention can happen if the state's legislature "by a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house" calls a convention.

    Virginia does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated constitutional amendments or initiated state statutes.

    Historical context:


    Between 1996 and 2018, the following occurred:

    • A total of 31 measures appeared on statewide ballots.
    • An average of 2.6 measures appeared on even-year ballots.
    • The number of measures appearing on statewide ballots ranged from zero to five.
    • Voters approved 87.1 percent (27 of 31) of statewide ballot measures.
    • Voters rejected 12.9 percent (4 of 31) of statewide ballot measures.
    Legislatively referred constitutional amendments, 1996-2018
    Total number Approved Percent approved Defeated Percent defeated Average Median Minimum Maximum
    31 27 87.1% 4 12.9% 2.6 2.0 0 5

    2020 measures:

    Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2020 ballot by the legislature.

    See also: Virginia 2020 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures were certified for the ballot.
    Virginia Question 1, Redistricting Commission AmendmentDemocratsRepublicans
    Senate:Required: 212121Yes votes: 394038 (97.5010095.00%)No votes: 102 (2.5005.00%)Yes: 191919; No: 002Yes: 202119; No: 100
    House:Required: 515151Yes votes: 858354 (85.083.054.00%)No votes: 131546 (13.015.046.00%)Yes: 35339; No: 121446Yes: 505045; No: 110
    Virginia Question 2, Motor Vehicle Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans AmendmentDemocratsRepublicans
    Senate:Required: 2121Yes votes: 4040 (100100.00%)No votes: 00 (00.00%)Yes: 1921; No: 00Yes: 2119; No: 00
    House:Required: 5151Yes votes: 9691 (96.091.00%)No votes: 34 (3.04.00%)Yes: 4850; No: 02Yes: 4841; No: 32



    See also

    Elections Virginia State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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    Footnotes

    1. 1.0 1.1 This date reflects the regularly-scheduled date and does not reflect any change made as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For more information on changes to state legislative sessions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
    2. Virginia General Assembly general information (dead link)
    3. 2010 Leadership of the Virginia House of Delegates
    4. Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," January 3, 2016
    5. Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed March 21, 2017
    6. Virginia State Board of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
    7. Follow the Money, "Virginia 2011 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
    8. Follow the Money, "Virginia 2009 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
    9. Follow the Money, "Virginia 2007 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
    10. Follow the Money, "Virginia 2005 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
    11. Follow the Money, "Virginia 2003 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
    12. Follow the Money, "Virginia 2001 Candidates," accessed August 5, 2013
    13. Virginia Law Library, "§ 24.2-216. Filling vacancies in the General Assembly," accessed June 26, 2017 (Statute 24.2-216, Virginia Code)
    14. All About Redistricting, "Who draws the lines?" accessed March 25, 2015
    15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 All About Redistricting, "Virginia," accessed May 8, 2015
    16. Virginia Division of Legislative Services, "Redistricting," accessed October 8, 2018
    17. U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Virginia's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," February 3, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2012
    18. pilotonline.com, "Lawmakers set to return for veto session," accessed April 20, 2016
    19. David Sherfinski, Washington Times, "Terry McAuliffe’s 2015 Va. agenda includes economics, health care," January 25, 2015
    20. Daily Press, "Virginia General Assembly opens, lawmakers ease back into action," January 8, 2014
    21. WRIC, "Virginia General Assembly To Convene For 2013 Session," January 9, 2013
    22. ncsl.org, "2012 Legislative Session Calendar," accessed April 21, 2015
    23. Virginia General Assembly
    24. Post Local, Va. assembly to vote Friday on Supreme Court, appeals judges, July 29, 2011
    25. 2010 session dates for Virginia legislature
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