Council approves new Hampton University precinct and Convocation Center polling place

Hampton City Council voted unanimously to create a new voting precinct on the Hampton University campus and to designate the Hampton University Convocation Center as the polling place for the new precinct.

Deputy City Attorney Angela King told the council the ordinance modifies East Hampton precinct boundaries to carve out a precinct centered on Hampton University and the VA Medical Center west of I‑64. King said the new precinct would have “just over 2,000 registered voters,” with the adjusted East Hampton precinct retaining about 2,200. She also reviewed legal requirements including compactness, contiguity, and the need for a certificate of no objection from the Virginia attorney general before implementation.

The public hearing drew heavy student and community turnout. “East Hampton is the only precinct in this city whose polling location lies outside of its borders by more than a mile,” Delegate Joan Ward said, urging the council to correct what she called a long‑standing access inequity for students and residents without vehicles. Hampton University President Daryl K. Williams and student leaders described transportation challenges at the off‑campus Phoebus site and said an on‑campus precinct would reduce congestion and wait times.

Councilor discussion concluded with a formal motion to adopt the ordinance. The motion directs the general registrar to request the attorney general’s certificate and authorizes the city manager to execute a polling‑place license with Hampton University. The ordinance takes effect only after the attorney general’s certificate is issued and statutory notice and posting requirements are completed.