Virginia elections, 2015
- ️Tue Nov 03 2015
The state of Virginia held elections in 2015.
Below are the dates of note:[1]| 2015 elections and events in Virginia. | |
|---|---|
| Voter registration deadline for primary election | May 18, 2015 
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| Deadline to request an absentee ballot for the primary election by mail | June 2, 2015
|
| Deadline to request an absentee ballot for the primary election in person | June 6, 2015
|
| Primary election | June 9, 2015
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| Voter registration deadline for general election | October 13, 2015
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| Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail | October 27, 2015
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| Deadline to request an absentee ballot in person | October 31, 2015
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| General election | November 3, 2015
|
Races to watch
- School Boards
- More information available here: Virginia school board elections, 2015
Elections by type
School boards
A total of 20 Virginia school districts among America's largest school districts by enrollment held elections for 103 seats on November 3, 2015. While all Virginia school board elections are nonpartisan by law, observers have noted that partisanship still has a strong influence in some districts. Fairfax County Public Schools is one example of such a school district.[2][3]
Prior to 1995, Virginia school board members were appointed. State law was changed, however, to allow localities to decide between elected and appointed boards.[2] The statute reads:
| “ | If a majority of the qualified voters voting in such referendum vote in favor of changing the method of selecting school board members to direct election by the voters, then the members of the school board shall be elected by popular vote. Elections of school board members in a county, city, or town shall be held to coincide with the elections for members of the governing body of the county, city, or town at the regular general election in November or the regular general election in May, as the case may be.[4] | ” |
| —Code of Virginia § 22.1-57.3. (2014)[5] |
Here are several quick facts about Virginia's school board elections in 2015:
- The largest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was Prince William County Public Schools with 83,865 K-12 students.
- The smallest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was Pittsylvania County Public Schools with 9,311 K-12 students.
- Fairfax County Public Schools had the most seats on the ballot in 2015 with 12 seats up for election.
- Arlington Public Schools had the fewest seats on the ballot in 2015 with one seat up for election.
The districts listed below served 475,304 K-12 students during the 2012-2013 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Click on the district names for more information on the district and its school board elections.
State legislatures
Voting information
Links related to voting in Virginia:
- For an overview and information on deadlines and updates to voting laws, please visit voting in Virginia.
- For information on ballot access and signature requirements, please visit our page on ballot access requirements for political candidates in Virginia.
- For information about absentee eligibility and military and overseas voting, please visit our absentee voting by state page.
- For information on early voting (if applicable), please visit our page on early voting by state.
- For information on online voter registration (if applicable), please visit our page on online voter registration in the 50 states.
Primary information
- A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Virginia utilizes an open primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[6][7]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Historical voter turnout
2014
In 2014, Virginia saw 36.6 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in the November general election.[8]
2012
In 2012, Virginia saw 66.6 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in the November general election.[9]
See also
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Virginia + elections + 2015"
Footnotes
- ↑ Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Elections, "2015 November Election Calendar," accessed January 2, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Washington Post, "Fairfax County School Board election uniquely partisan," September 7, 2011
- ↑ American School Board Journal, "Politics and School Board Races," March 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Code of Virginia, "§ 22.1-57.3. Election of school board members; election of tie breaker.," accessed Juen 24, 2015
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections,"Casting a Ballot," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ United States Election Project, "2014 November General Election Turnout Rates," accessed January 2, 2015
- ↑ United States Election Project, "2012 November General Election Turnout Rates," accessed January 2, 2015
