I recently traveled to Richmond to fulfil my duties as a member of the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Consolidation and Scheduling of General Elections in Virginia. I was appointed to this new subcommittee by the Speaker of the House, and it includes members of the Virginia House and Senate, the Commissioner of Elections, and citizen members representing local governments and election officials. This subcommittee was created by legislation (HJ 443) passed in the 2025 General Assembly Legislative Session to study whether or not Virginia should change its odd-year state and local election cycle to coincide with the federal even-year election cycle.
Over the course of several months, this subcommittee will hear testimony from attorneys representing both political parties, election experts, and members of the public as to the pros and cons of what this change would mean for Virginia. From what I have heard so far, I am not convinced that moving the Commonwealth’s elections to coincide with the federal election schedule would be a good idea.
Supporters of moving all local and state elections in Virginia to match the even-year federal elections have several motivations. First and foremost, they assert that consolidating elections will lead to higher turnout in all races since a greater number of people tend to vote for President, U.S. Senate, and Congressional candidates than those in state and local races. Supporters of this idea have also claimed that since Virginia is one of only a few states that hold elections every year, voters may experience so-called “election fatigue.” As one of the few states that holds odd-year elections, it also means that some races attract more out-of-state campaign donations as well.
I tend to believe that Virginia’s odd-year elections are a good thing, and to this point, I have not seen enough evidence to suggest that they should be changed. First and foremost, nothing is inherently more difficult about voting in odd-year elections that would otherwise prevent someone from voting. Presidential and other federal races may often gain more popular attention and invoke raw emotion, but if anything, that is a bad reason to combine state and local races with elections for those offices. Issues at the state and local level are often much more impactful to a citizen’s daily life, such as policies relating to criminal law, transportation infrastructure, zoning issues, and too many more to count. If Virginia’s odd-year elections were changed to coincide with the federal election schedule, these types of issues could very well fall by the wayside for the nationalized campaign themes we see today. While everyone should have an opinion on those as well, it could make it more difficult for state and local districts to maintain an identity and have a unique voice in the types of policies they want to see in their communities. I also do not believe that Virginia’s outsized importance as a bellwether due to our election schedule is a bad thing. It hones candidate messaging and gives Virginians a reason to vote every year – to consistently play an active part in America’s democratic process that we cherish.
As mentioned earlier, the joint subcommittee will be hearing more testimony in the weeks and months ahead, and we are mandated to produce a recommendation to the General Assembly no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, and you may do so by sending me an email at DelJBallard@House.Virginia.Gov.
As the Delegate representing the 42nd House District in the Virginia General Assembly, your concerns are my greatest priority. If ever I may be of assistance to you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at DelJBallard@House.Virginia.Gov. You can also follow me on Twitter @JasonBallardVA or like my Facebook page, Jason Ballard for Delegate, to keep up to date with what I am doing in Richmond and in our community on your behalf.
