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2014 SESSION
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 24.2-226 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 24.2-226. Election to fill vacancy.
A. A vacancy in any elected local office, whether occurring
when for any reason an officer-elect does not take office or occurring after an
officer begins his term, shall be filled as provided by § 24.2-228 or for
constitutional officers as provided in § 24.2-228.1, or unless provided
otherwise by statute or charter requiring special elections within the time
limits provided in this title. The governing body or, in the case of an elected
school board, the school board of the county, city, or town in which the
vacancy occurs shall, within 15 days of the occurrence of the vacancy, petition
the circuit court to issue a writ of election to fill the vacancy as set forth
in Article 5 (§ 24.2-681 et seq.) of Chapter 6. Either upon receipt of the
petition or on its own motion, the court shall issue the writ ordering the
election promptly, which shall be no later than and shall order the
special election to be held on the date of the next general election in
November, or in May if the vacant office is regularly scheduled by law
to be filled at that time in May. However, if the governing body or
the school board requests in its petition a different date for the election,
the court shall order the special election be held on that date, so long as the
date requested precedes the date of such next general election and complies
with the provisions of § 24.2-682., unless If the vacancy
occurs within 90 days of the next such general election and the governing
body or the school board has not requested in its petition a different date for
the election, the special election shall be held on the date of in which
event it shall be held promptly but no later than the second such general
election. Upon receipt of written notification by an officer or officer-elect
of his resignation as of a stated date, the governing body or school board, as
the case may be, may immediately petition the circuit court to issue a writ of
election, and the court may immediately issue the writ to call the election.
The officer's or officer-elect's resignation shall not be revocable after the
date stated by him for his resignation or after the forty-fifth day before the
date set for the special election. The person so elected shall hold the office
for the remaining portion of the regular term of the office for which the
vacancy is being filled.
B. Notwithstanding any provision of law or charter to the contrary, no election to fill a vacancy shall be ordered or held if the general election at which it is to be called is scheduled within 60 days of the end of the term of the office to be filled.
C. Notwithstanding any provision of law or charter to the contrary, when an interim appointment to a vacancy in any governing body or elected school board has been made by the remaining members thereof, no election to fill the vacancy shall be ordered or held if the general election at which it is to be called is scheduled in the year in which the term expires.