Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill that shifts municipal elections from May to November, a change lawmakers hope will boost voter turnout.
The new law, which kicks in Jan. 1, will affect races in Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk and Chesapeake. It affects nearly a million voters across Virginia, according to an estimate from the Virginia Public Access Project.
Senate Bill 1157, sponsored by Senator Lionel Spruill, passed the Senate in January thanks to a tie-breaking vote from Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. In February, it narrowly passed the House by a vote of 50-44, with one abstention.
Spruill and other supporters say it will improve poor voter turnout by shifting the election to a day that’s already a holiday and more recognizable since people are used to voting for higher-profile offices, including president and Congress in November. Holding local elections in May is a form of voter suppression, Chesapeake Councilwoman Ella Ward told The Virginian-Pilot earlier this year.
And it could cut costs. Norfolk registrar Stephanie Iles says moving the city’s May election to November would save at least $150,000.
But opponents have argued local elections will get lost in the mix with national issues. Chesapeake Mayor Rick West has argued there are other ways to increase voter access, as has been proven during the pandemic, and Chesapeake Councilwoman Debbie Ritter said she trusts voters to differentiate between May and November.
