VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — After years of meetings, rallies, lawsuits, and neighborhood forums, Virginia Beach voters went to the polls on Tuesday to decide how their city council is elected. A referendum on the ballot asked whether to keep the current 10-1 system or shift to a modified 7-3-1 system.

The ballot question reads:

Should the method of city council elections set forth in the Virginia Beach City Charter be changed from a modified 7-3-1 system to a 10-1 system?

A "yes" vote supported the 10-1 model used in 2022 and 2024 — 10 single-member districts elect one council member each, with the mayor elected citywide — and directs the city to again seek a Virginia General Assembly change to put 10-1 into the charter.

A "no" vote indicated a preference for the charter's modified 7-3-1 sys

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