On Tuesday, May 4th, members of Ashland’s Town Council voted to move the next local municipal elections from May 2022 to November 2021. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
To streamline election processes statewide, the Commonwealth of Virginia mandated in March that local Town Council elections move from spring to fall. This week’s Town Council vote is in accordance with the new state law and aligns local elections with state elections, which are held on the first Tuesday of November every two years in odd-numbered years.
This change shortens the term of sitting Councilmembers by six months and, in the 2021 election only, also shortens the period of time that potential Town Council candidates have to file their candidacy paperwork. As a result, Town staff are making every effort to communicate this change early and broadly to ensure all potential candidates are informed and prepared.
Residents interested in running for Town Council must file all paperwork with the Hanover Voter Registrar & Election Office by June 8th, 2021 at 7:00PM.
Two Council seats will be up for election in November 2021. Town Council candidates run without party affiliation and there is no primary. In light of this and the date change, Town officials will coordinate Council candidate forums closer to Election Day that will focus on how candidates personally would like to make a positive impact on the local community.
More information on running for Town Council and how to file for candidacy can be found here. Questions about the date change or how to run for a Town Council seat, should be directed to the Hanover Voter Registrar: (804) 365-6080 / hanovervoting@hanovercounty.gov.
For questions about how Town Council operates and its role in Ashland’s government, please contact Matt Reynal, Assistant Town Manager at: mreynal@ashlandva.gov / (804) 798-9219.