In the
recent 2021 session of the Virginia General Assembly, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1157 (Spruill) which changes the general
election day from May to November for certain local government offices
including elected school board members in cities and towns. Beginning January
1, 2022, “elections for mayor, members of local governing bodies, and members
of elected school boards shall be held at the time of the November general
election for terms to commence January 1.”
Any school board members serving in a seat with an election scheduled for 2022 will be contested during the November 2022 election. Members of a school board whose term would have expired June 30, 2022 shall continue to serve in office until after the November election.
The Virginia School Boards Association is providing your board with this information so you can begin planning for this change in election law. We encourage your board to review the legislation and consult with your local city or town registrar for impacts on ballot access requirements.
If there are
any questions or concerns that VSBA can address, please do not hesitate to
contact Government Relations Specialist, J.T. Kessler, at jason@vsba.org or 434-295-8722 ext. 116.
