Nov. 5 marks the first time local elections in Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk and Chesapeake are sharing ballot space with the presidential race — a change all but guaranteed to increase voter turnout.
It also brings new challenges for candidates.
For decades, many Virginia localities held local elections in May. But Virginia passed legislation in 2021 requiring all localities to consolidate elections. This election cycle marks the first time since then that voters in several Hampton Roads cities will select candidates for city council, school board and mayor at the same time they vote for president.
Some Hampton Roads candidates said the switch has made it difficult to be heard over the noisy presidential match up between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Political experts said the change will translate to higher voter turnout, but voters may not be as well versed in local issues.
“The votes of the people that are paying attention to local politics are probably going to be significantly more diluted by the votes of people who aren’t paying as much attention,” said Jesse Richman, associate professor of political science and geography at Old Dominion University.