Virginia Beach council votes to place charter election-method referendum on Nov. 4 ballot

The Virginia Beach City Council voted to request that the circuit court order a referendum for Nov. 4, 2025, on whether the city—s charter should be changed from the current modified 7-3-1 method to another election format, a move that supporters said would let residents decide and opponents warned could trigger more litigation and roll back minority representation.

The vote followed more than an hour of public comment in which scores of residents urged opposite outcomes. Supporters of the referendum argued that voters should have the final say; opponents said the 10-1 single-member district system fixed long-standing Voting Rights Act violations and that a referendum would risk disenfranchising minority voters.

Council members and speakers framed the question around legal history, community voice and fiscal impact. Several speakers referenced a federal court remedy and past studies; opponents repeatedly cited the 10-1 system—s adoption after litigation under the Voting Rights Act. Those opposing the referendum said the council—s action would…