VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The city of Virginia Beach is hosting multiple pop-up educational tables throughout the week to help provide Virginia Beach residents with more opportunities to learn about the upcoming referendum question.

The referendum question will be added to the upcoming Nov. 4 election and will ask voters if the city should continue to use the 10-1 voting system or to go back to the previous 7-3-1 voting system.

The 10-1 system, which was used most recently in 2022 and 2024, splits the resort city into 10 districts. The voters of each district would then elect a single council member, with the mayor being elected at-large.

The 7-3-1 system, which was used prior to the 10-1 system, splits the resort city into seven districts. Voters of each district would then elect a single council member, with three council members and the mayor being elected at-large.

For the upcoming election, a “yes” vote would be in favor of the 10-1 system, and a “no” vote would be in favor of the 7-3-1 system.

In 2021, a U.S. District Judge ruled that the 7-3-1 system disenfranchised minority voters, saying that the system “denies Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians equal access to the electoral and political process.” Those in favor of the system, however, said it gives a single voter more power by having a say on more than one race for city council.

Those in favor of the 10-1 system, though, believe it will help to create the most diverse version of a city council.

Ahead of the election, Virginia Beach will be holding multiple pop-up educational tables to help provide voters with more information on the referendum question. The dates for the pop-up tables can be found below:

• Tuesday, Aug. 26
  • 5-7 p.m. at Princess Anne Recreation Center
• Wednesday, Aug. 27
  • 9-11 a.m. at Pungo-Blackwater Library
  • 10 a.m. – noon at Great Neck Area Library
  • 10 a.m. – noon at Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library
  • 3-5 p.m. at Great Neck Recreation Center
• Thursday, Aug. 28
  • 9-11 a.m. at Bow Creek Recreation Center
  • 2-4 p.m. at Wahab Public Law Library
  • 4-7 p.m. at Williams Farm Recreation Center
• Friday, Aug. 29
  • 9 a.m. – noon at Joint-Use Library

For more information on the referendum question, click here.