The Virginia State Legislature has the authority to amend local charters. The measure would advise the state legislature to amend the city charter to change how the city council and mayor are elected. The amendment would provide for 10 single-member districts where voters elect one member from their respective districts and provide that the mayor would be elected at large. This system is called the 10-1 system. Currently, the charter provides for the at-large or citywide election of all city council members and the mayor, with seven city council members representing residence districts and three city council members representing the city at-large.[1]

In 2021, a federal court found the existing charter election system violated the voting rights of minority voters and ordered the city to adopt the 10-1 system. The same year, a general law was passed requiring cities that impose residency requirements on city councilmembers to be elected by the voters of the district and not at-large. Due to the state law, the system described in the charter would require seven city council members to be elected by district, allow three at-large members to be elected citywide, and authorize the at-large election of the mayor. This system is called the modified 7-3-1 system. The 10-1 system was used for city elections in 2022 and 2024.[1]

The state legislature passed a charter amendment in 2024 to adopt the 10-1 system for Virginia Beach, but it was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).