Third election referendum committee forms in Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH — Another referendum committee aimed at persuading voters on how residents elect their City Council and School Board members has formed in Virginia Beach as the start of early voting is approaching.

Vote Yes on 10-1 is a community-based group that supports district-based representation on the City Council and is opposed to adding at-large seats. The group has launched a website, voteyeson10-1.com, and is collecting funds for mailers, town halls and other events to raise awareness.

Political strategist Lisa Turner is heading up the committee, using her background in organizing multiple Virginia Beach Democrat candidates’ campaigns to assemble a coalition of support.

“We don’t have politicians leading,” Turner said. “We have religious leaders and individuals, teachers, NAACP, community leaders that are on the ground.”

A referendum on the Virginia Beach ballot this year will pose the question: “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?”

The 10-1 system refers to the 10 city districts that each elect a council member and the mayor. The 7-3-1 system refers to seven district-based seats, three at-large seats elected by voters across the city, and the mayor. The city’s charter allows for a 7-3-1 system, but the city has used the 10-1 system in the last two local election cycles.

The group is aligning with Yes for Virginia Beach, a referendum committee steered by state Sen. Aaron Rouse, that also formed earlier this month, Turner said.

Both groups are squaring off against Every Vote Counts, another referendum committee that supports adding at-large representation on the City Council and School Board. Every Vote Counts is trying to persuade residents to vote “no” in November. It has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars this year and has the backing of high-profile businesses and elected leaders.

“We won’t be as well financed as the other side,” Turner said. “It will be about how well we organize and get the word out about protecting the 10-1 system in our city.”

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Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

https://www.dailypress.com/2025/08/26/third-election-referendum-committee-virginia-beach/