Virginia State and Local Government

The Green Papers: State and Local Government

Virginia

Governor:	1	(Term Limit: 1 4-year term)
Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
2000 Representatives:	11	(2.53% of 435)
2002 Representatives:	11	(2.53% of 435)
2004 Electors:	13	(2.42% of 538)
1990 Census:	6,189,197	(2.49% of 248,765,170)
2000 Census:	7,100,702	(2.52% of 281,998,273)
Registered Voters (2000):	3,770,273
Estimated Voting age population (2000):	5,263,000
Capital:	Richmond

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States Alphabetically Current Virginia Statewide Office Holders


Official Name/Status All States
	The COMMONWEALTH of Virginia
	Status: STATE of the Union
	Ratified Articles of Confederation: 9 July 1778. this State formally adhered to the Articles on 9 July 1778 when the document was signed by its delegates to the Seventh Continental Congress
	Ratified Constitution of the United States: 25 June 1788
	The 10th state.


Traditional Sections and Regions All States
	Section: SOUTH
	Region: Upper ["Border"] South
	Survey: Metes & Bounds

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): [None. One of the 13 original States which declared their independence from the nascent British Empire on 4 July 1776]

• 1st (1776-1830) [Adopted: 29 June 1776 Convention convened, 6 May 1776. (Declaration of Rights adopted 12 June 1776), Ratified: 29 June 1776 not submitted to the People]

• 2nd (1830-1851) [Adopted: 14 January 1830 Convention convened, 5 October 1829, Ratified: 1830 ratified by vote of 26,055 to 15,563]

• 3rd (1851-1864) [Adopted: 1 August 1851 Convention convened, 14 October 1850, Ratified: 23 October 1851 ratified by vote of 67,562 to 9,938]

• 4th (1864-1870) [Adopted: 11 April 1864 Convention convened, 13 February 1864, Ratified: 11 April 1864 not submitted to the People]

• 5th (1870-1902) [Adopted: 7 April 1868 Convention convened, July 1867, Ratified: 6 July 1869 ratified by vote of 210,585 to 9,136; effective, 1870]

• 6th (1902-1971) [Adopted: 26 June 1902 Convention convened, 12 June 1902, Ratified: 26 June 1902 not submitted to the People; effective, 10 July 1902]

• 7th (1971--) [Adopted: 1970 drafted by the General Assembly in 1969; enacted by the General Assembly and submitted to the People on the above date, Ratified: 1970 effective, 1 July 1971]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
	• GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
	• Lieutenant Governor [elected separately from GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States 2010 Office holders
	• Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2009, 2013. Term Limit: ineligble to immediately succeed after a given 4-year term
	• Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2009, 2013
	• Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2009, 2013

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
	• GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Upper House
	• Senate
Lower House
	• House of Delegates

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
	• Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
	• Court of Appeals

Local Government


PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
	• County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
	MINOR CIVIL DIVISION All States
		• district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]

Incorporated Municipalities All States

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
	• Federal: Tuesday next after first Monday in November in even-numbered years. State: Tuesday next after first Monday in November in odd-numbered years.
Presidential Primary All States
	• (2004--) Primaries for the nomination of candidates for the office of President of the United States to be voted on at the November 2004 general election, and the November general election in each presidential election year thereafter, shall be held on the second Tuesday in February preceding the November general election. [Code of Virginia � 24.2-544.A]
State Primary All States
	• (2004--) Primaries for the nomination of candidates for offices to be voted on at the general election date in November shall be held on the second Tuesday in June next preceding such election, except that beginning with the year 2004 and in presidential election years thereafter, primaries to choose among presidential candidates may be held as provided below in Article 7 (� 24.2-544 et seq.) of this chapter on the second Tuesday in February. Primaries for the nomination of candidates for offices to be voted on at the general election date in May shall be held on the first Tuesday in March next preceding such election, except that beginning with the year 2004 and in presidential election years thereafter, primaries for the nomination of candidates for offices to be voted on at the general election date in May shall be held as described below in Article 7 of this chapter on the second Tuesday in February. [Code of Virginia � 24.2-515]
Polling times All States
	• Hours polls to be open; closing the polls. At all elections, the polls shall be open at each polling place at 6:00 a.m. on the day of the election and closed at 7:00 p.m. on the same day. [Code of Virginia � 24.2-603]

Links Links to other web sites

Constitution
	• Constitution of Virginia
	• Constitution of Virginia
Election Authority
	• Virginia State Board of Elections
	• Virginia State Board of Elections
Legislature
	• Code of Virginia
	• Virginia Administrative Code
	• Virginia General Assembly
Democratic
	• Virginia Democratic Party
	• Virginia Joint Democratic Caucus
	• Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus
Republican
	• Republican Party of Virginia
Third Party
	• Conservative Party (Virginia)
	• Independent Greens of Virginia Not affiliated with the Green Party. Voted to affililate with the Independence Party of America on 10 January 2008.
	• Libertarian Party of Virginia
	• The Constitution Party of Virginia
	• The Green Party of Virginia
	• The Unity Party of Virginia
	• Virginia Conservative Party An affiliate of the The American Conservative Party
	• Virginia Society for Human Life
	• Whigs in Virginia
Media & others
	• Augusta Free Press: Election 2006
	• Bristol Herald Courier
	• citizenet.com - Fauquier County news
	• Culpeper Star-Exponent
	• Daily Press: Hampton Roads Daily Press
	• Danville Register & Bee - Dan River Region
	• DC's Political Report - Virginia
	• Manassas Journal Messenger
	• Martinsville Bulletin - Martinsville / Henry County
	• News & Advance - Lynchburg
	• Politics1.com - Virginia
	• Potomac News
	• Richlands News-Press - Richlands / Clinch Valley
	• Richmond Times-Dispatch
	• Southside Sentinel - Urbanna
	• Staunton News Leader
	• The Daily Progress - Charlottesville
	• The Free Lance-Star - Fredericksburg
	• The Independent Messenger - Emporia
	• The New Dominion - Waynesboro
	• The News Virginian - Waynesboro
	• The Roanoke Times
	• The Virginia Public Access Project
	• The Virginian Pilot - Norfolk
	• The Winchester Star
	• VAPolitics.net
	• WWBT - NBC - Richmond
	• WWBT - NBC - Richmond - Decision 2008