How do ballot initiatives and recalls work in Virginia?

About half of the United States (as well as US Virgin Islands and Washington, DC) provide residents with a path to bypass their elected officials and change laws through initiatives and referendums, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

VPM News listener Kathleen Kimmel asked whether Virginia is one of them. She’s also interested in whether voters can petition to recall an elected official before their term is up.

“Somehow making sure that the elected officials understand that we’re not happy with them,” she said. “Beyond just contacting the office or saying something in the newspaper. Do we have something stronger for voicing concerns and desires?”

These two, interrelated questions yielded varying answers along the same general trend: Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.




https://www.vpm.org/news/2025-07-16/curious-commonwealth-virginia-voter-referendum-ballot-recall-elections