About the Virginia Elections Database
In 2015, the Virginia Department of Elections created this database in order to provide an easy way for the general public to access, explore, and analyze the entire electoral history of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Our mission is to consolidate into one searchable platform every candidate contest and ballot question that has been reported to the Department of Elections (or its precursor, the State Board of Elections). This requires a process of ongoing data inventory and extraction among a variety of historical primary sources and compilations. As we look at documents further back in time, the record becomes less comprehensive and more prone to gaps. For this reason, we have created an inventory table below to help visitors understand which contests are available as of today. The “Notes” column provides some additional detail about what data limitations one may find.
Inventory
Office Type | Office | Years Available | Notes |
Federal | President | 1924 to present 1916 to present 1789 to present 1956 only | |
State Executive | Governor | 1851 to present 1925 to present 1925 to present | |
State Legislative | Senate of Virginia | 1947 to present | |
City/County | Clerk of Court | 2000 to present | |
Soil/Water Districts | Soil and Water Conservation Director | 1947-1968, 2000 to present | Before 2000, only a limited range of official records show results for this office. |
Local | Mayor | 2000 to present | Board of Supervisors 2000 data is limited. Town Recorder data is generally limited. |
Feedback
Want to request a new feature? Spotted a data inaccuracy? Other questions or comments about the database? Feel free to email us at info@elections.virginia.gov. We’d love to hear from you.