City of Charlottesville Ten Year Election Calendar & Schedule

Prior to 2023 election: [http://www.charlottesville.org/departments-and-services/departments-h-z/voter-registration-and-elections/polling-places City of Charlottesville Polling Locations, confirm boundaries for individual residences.

• General Elections are 22 days before election
• Primary Elections are 22 days before election
• Special Elections are 14 days before election
• Special Elections (Called by the Governor) are 7 days before election

Main article: Election

Rely on the Virginia Department of Elections and local election offices for accurate election information.

When are elections held?

• June: Primary - Second Tuesday of June (if called) - Primary Elections are held to assist the two major political parties (Democratic and Republican) in selecting their nominees for offices on the General Election Ballot. In Virginia, primaries for offices elected in November are normally held on the second Tuesday in June. A registered voter can vote in any primary election held in their precinct. If both parties are holding primaries, the voter can only vote in one party’s primary. [need citation]
• November: General Election - First Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
• Special Elections are held for a special purpose that is not regularly scheduled, such as to fill an office vacancy or for ballot questions. In Virginia all Special Elections are held on Tuesdays, often at the same time as a General Election. A Special Election cannot be held on the same date as a primary election.
• March: In presidential election years, presidential primaries are held on the first Tuesday in March.

Off-year, off-off-year & odd-year elections

• Unlike most cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, elections in Charlottesville, Axandria, Buena Vista, and Falls Church take place during odd-numbered. years
• In 2017, Virginia was one of only two — New Jersey being the other — to elect a new governor.
• Virginia is one of only five states in the U.S. to hold its statewide elections in years that do not coincide with a presidential or congressional mid-term election. Every four years on the odd-numbered year after the presidential elections, Virginia and New Jersey hold elections for Governor (Virginia also elects its Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General as well). They are the only states to hold such elections at this time. These are called “off-off-year” elections because they occur two-cycles off the presidential election cycle (presidential election years being the “on” year elections, mid-term election years being the “off” year elections, and odd-year elections being the “off-off” year elections).

How frequently are elections held in the City of Charlottesville for each office?

Local offices

• Member City Council - Every two years, odd numbered years (staggered 4-year terms for the 5 members)
• Member City School Board - Every two years, odd numbered years (staggered 4-year terms for the 7 members)
• Soil and Water Conservation Directors (Thomas Jefferson District) - every four years, odd numbered years (year before presidential)

Local Constitutional offices (five)

1. Sheriff - Every four years, odd numbered years (year after Presidential Election)
2. Treasurer - Every four years, odd numbered years (year after Presidential Election)
3. Commissioner of Revenue - Every four years, odd numbered years (year after Presidential Election)
4. Commonwealth's Attorney - Every four years, odd numbered years (year after Presidential Election)
5. Clerk of the Circuit Court - Every eight years, odd numbered years (before every other Presidential Election)

Virginia State Offices

• General Assembly:
  • Senate of Virginia, 25th District - Every four years, odd numbered years (year before presidential election)
  • Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District - Every two years, odd numbered years
• Attorney General of Virginia - Every four years, odd numbered years (year after presidential election)
• Lieutenant Governor - Every four years, odd numbered years (year after presidential election)
• Governor - Every four years, odd numbered years (year after presidential election)

Federal Offices

• United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia - Every two years, even numbered years
• United States Senate - Every six years, even numbered years (staggered terms for the two Senators)
• President - Every four years, even numbered years (leap years)

Definitions

• "Election" means a general, primary, or special election.
• "General election" means an election held in the Commonwealth on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November or on the first Tuesday in May for the purpose of filling offices regularly scheduled by law to be filled at those times.
• "Precinct" means the territory designated by the governing body of a county, city, or town to be served by one polling place.
• "Primary" or "primary election" means an election held for the purpose of selecting a candidate to be the nominee of a political party for election to office.
• "Referendum" means any election held pursuant to law to submit a question to the voters for approval or rejection.
• "Special election" means any election that is held pursuant to law to fill a vacancy in office or to hold a referendum.

Political party registration

• Virginia residents do not register by party. Virginia utilizes a hybrid primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

Election Calendar & Office Term

YEAR	PRIMARY ELECTION	GENERAL ELECTION	TYPE	OFFICE	TERM
2018	N/A	November 6, 2018	Special	City Special Election: City School Board (1 seat: remainder of term ending 12/31/2019)	remainder
2018	N/A	November 6, 2018	State	State Constitutional Amendments (put on ballot after passage by two sessions of the Virginia General Assembly)	NA
2018	June 12, 2018	November 6, 2018	State	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia (Garrett's seat)	2-year
2018	June 12, 2018	November 6, 2018	State	United States Senate (Kane’s seat)	6-year
2019	June 11, 2019	November 5, 2019	Local	City Council (3 seats: Bellamy’s, Galvin’s and Signer’s)	4-year
2019	June 11, 2019	November 5, 2019	Local	City Constitutional Officer: Clerk of Court (Dugger's seat)	8-year
2019	June 11, 2019	November 5, 2019	Local	City School Board (4 seats: Bryant's, Kraft's, Laufer's, McKeever's)	4-year
2019	June 11, 2019	November 5, 2019	Local	Soil & Water Conservation District Director (2 seats: Thompson's and Tingley's)	4-year
2019	June 11, 2019	November 5, 2019	State	Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District (Toscano's seat)	2-year
2019	June 11, 2019	November 5, 2019	State	Senate of Virginia, 25th District (R. Creigh Deeds)	4-year
2020	June 9, 2020	November 3, 2020	Federal	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia (Riggleman's seat)	2-year
2020	June 9, 2020	November 3, 2020	Federal	United States Senate (Warner’s seat)	6-year
2020	March 3, 2020	November 3, 2020	Federal	Presidential	4-year
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	Local	City Council (2 seats: Walker’s and Hill’s)	4-year
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	Local	City Constitutional Officers (except Clerk of Court): Sheriff, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue and Commonwealth's Attorney	4-year
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	Local	City School Board (3 seats: Larson-Torres’, Puryear’s, Wade’s)	4-year
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	State	Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District	2-year
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	State	Attorney General of Virginia (Herring's seat*)	4-year
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	State	Lieutenant Governor	4-year
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	State	Governor	4-year
2022	June 21, 2022	November 8, 2022	Federal	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia (Bob Good's seat)	2-year
2023	June 20, 2023	November 7, 2023	Local	City Council (3 seats)	4-year
2023	June 20, 2023	November 7, 2023	Local	City School Board (4 seats)	4-year
2023	June 20, 2023	November 7, 2023	Local	Soil & Water Conservation District Director	4-year
2023	June 20, 2023	November 7, 2023	State	Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District	2-year
2023	June 20, 2023	November 7, 2023	State	Senate of Virginia, 25th District	4-year
2024	June 18, 2024	November 5, 2024	Federal	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia	2-year
2024	June 18, 2024	November 5, 2024	Federal	United States Senate (Kane’s seat)	6-year
2024	March 2024	November 5, 2024	Federal	Presidential	4-year
2025	June 10, 2025	November 4, 2025	Local	City Council (2 seats)	4-year
2025	June 17, 2025	November 4, 2025	Local	City Constitutional Officers (except Clerk of Court): Sheriff, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue and Commonwealth's Attorney	4-year
2025	June 17, 2025	November 4, 2025	Local	City School Board (3 seats)	4-year
2025	June 17, 2025	November 4, 2025	State	Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District	2-year
2025	June 17, 2025	November 4, 2025	State	Attorney General of Virginia	4-year
2025	June 17, 2025	November 4, 2025	State	Lieutenant Governor	4-year
2025	June 17, 2025	November 4, 2025	State	Governor	4-year
2026	June 16, 2026	November 3, 2026	Federal	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia	2-year
2026	June 16, 2026	November 3, 2026	Federal	United States Senate	6-year
2027	June 15, 2027	November 2, 2027	Local	City Council (3 seats)	4-year
2027	June 15, 2027	November 2, 2027	Local	City Constitutional Officer: Clerk of Court	8-year
2027	June 15, 2027	November 2, 2027	Local	City School Board (4 seats)	4-year
2027	June 15, 2027	November 2, 2027	Local	Soil & Water Conservation District Director	4-year
2027	June 15, 2027	November 2, 2027	State	Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District	2-year
2027	June 15, 2027	November 2, 2027	State	Senate of Virginia, 25th District	4-year
2028	June 2028	November 7, 2028	Federal	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia	2-year
2028	March 2028	November 7, 2028	Federal	Presidential	4-year
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	Local	City Council (3 seats)	4-year
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	Local	City School Board (3 seats)	4-year
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	Local	City Constitutional Officers (except Clerk of Court): Sheriff, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue and Commonwealth's Attorney	4-year
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	State	Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District	2-year
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	State	Attorney General of Virginia	4-year
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	State	Lieutenant Governor	4-year
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	State	Governor	4-year

• On March 18, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed SB 1148. It moves the non-presidential primary from the second week in June to the third week in June. The bill takes effect in 2022 and thereafter.

Election Calendar

(Please note that while this may be the latest information taken from the City of Charlottesville website, the dates and details are subject to change and it is the responsibility of the candidate seeking election and voter to verify the accuracy of the information.)

YEAR	PRIMARY ELECTION(S)	GENERAL ELECTION	OFFICE
2018	June 12, 2018	November 6, 2018	Special Election School Board (1 seat: remainder of term ending 12/31/2019); State Constitutional Amendments (put on ballot after passage by two sessions of the Virginia General Assembly; United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia; U.S. Senate (Kane’s seat)
2019	June 11, 2019	November 5, 2019	City Council (3 seats: Bellamy’s, Galvin’s and Signer’s); Clerk of Court (Dugger's seat); City School Board (4 seats: Bryant's, Kraft, Laufer's, McKeever's); Soil & Water Conservation District Director; Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District (Toscano's seat); Senate of Virginia, 25th District (R. Creigh Deeds).
2020	March 3, 2020 & June 9, 2020	November 3, 2020	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia; U.S. Senate (Warner’s seat); U.S. Presidential
2021	June 8, 2021	November 2, 2021	City Council (2 seats: Walker’s and Hill’s); City Constitutional Offices (except Clerk of Court): Sheriff, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue and Commonwealth's Attorney; City School Board (3 seats: Larson-Torres’, Puryear’s, Wade’s); Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District; Attorney General of Virginia (Herring's seat*); Lieutenant Governor; Governor
2022	June 14, 2022	November 8, 2022	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia
2023	June 13, 2023	November 7, 2023	City Council (3 seats); City School Board (4 seats); Soil & Water Conservation District Director; Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District; State Senate
2024	March 5, 2024 & June 11, 2024	November 5, 2024	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia; U.S. Senate (Kane’s seat); U.S. Presidential
2025	June 10, 2025	November 4, 2025	City Council (2 seats); City Constitutional Offices (except Clerk of Court): Sheriff, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue and Commonwealth's Attorney; City School Board (3 seats); Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District; Attorney General of Virginia; Lieutenant Governor; Governor
2026	June 9, 2026	November 3, 2026	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia; U.S. Senate
2027	June 8, 2027	November 2, 2027	City Council (3 seats); Clerk of Court; City School Board (4 seats); Soil & Water Conservation District Director; Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District; Senate of Virginia, 25th District
2028	June 2028	November 7, 2028	United States House of Representatives 5th Congressional District of Virginia; U.S. Presidential
2029	June 2029	November 6, 2029	City Constitutional Offices (except Clerk of Court): Sheriff, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue and Commonwealth's Attorney; City School Board (3 seats); Virginia House of Delegates, 57th District; Attorney General of Virginia; Lieutenant Governor; Governor

What are the basic qualifications to be a candidate?

• Resident of Virginia for one year immediately preceding the election.
• Resident of the county, city, or town in which you are trying to run for office.
• Registered to vote in the county, city, or town in which you are trying to run for office.