Virginia
Local government
As of 2002, Virginia had 95 counties and 229 municipal governments, as well as 196 special districts.
During the colonial period, most Virginians lived on plantations and were reluctant to form towns. In 1705, the general assembly approved the formation of 16 "free boroughs." Although only Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Norfolk chose at
Virginia Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2000
| YEAR | ELECTORAL VOTE | VIRGINIA WINNER | DEMOCRAT | REPUBLICAN | STATES' RIGHTS DEMOCRAT | PROGRESSIVE | SOCIALIST | SOCIALIST LABOR |
| * Won US presidential election. | ||||||||
| **Candidates of the nationwide Citizens and Socialist Workers parties were listed as independents on the Virginia ballot; another independent, John Anderson, won 95,418 votes. | ||||||||
| 1948 | 11 | *Truman (D) | 200,786 | 172,070 | 43,393 | 2,047 | 726 | 234 |
| 1952 | 12 | *Eisenhower (R) | 268,677 | 349,037 | — | — | 504 | 1,160 |
| CONSTITUTION | ||||||||
| 1956 | 12 | *Eisenhower (R) | 267,760 | 386,459 | 42,964 | — | 444 | 351 |
| VA. CONSERVATIVE | ||||||||
| 1960 | 12 | Nixon (R) | 362,327 | 404,521 | 4,204 | — | — | 397 |
| 1964 | 12 | *Johnson (D) | 558,038 | 481,334` | — | — | — | 2,895 |
| AMERICAN IND. | PEACE & FREEDOM | |||||||
| 1968 | 12 | *Nixon (R) | 442,387 | 590,319 | 320,272 | — | 1,680 | 4,671 |
| AMERICAN | ||||||||
| 1972 | 12 | *Nixon (R) | 438,887 | 988,493 | 19,721 | — | — | 9,918 |
| LIBERTARIAN | US LABOR | SOC. WORKERS | ||||||
| 1976 | 12 | Ford (R) | 813,896 | 836,554 | 16,686 | 4,648 | 7,508 | 17,802 |
| Citizens | ||||||||
| 1980 | 12 | *Reagan (R) | 752,174 | 989,609 | — | 12,821 | **14,024 | 1,9861 |
| 1984 | 12 | *Reagan (R) | 796,250 | 1,337,078 | — | — | — | — |
| NEW ALLIANCE | ||||||||
| 1988 | 12 | *Bush (R) | 859,799 | 1,309,162 | 14,312 | 8,336 | — | — |
| IND. (PEROT) | IND. (LAROUCHE) | |||||||
| 1992 | 13 | Bush (R) | 1,038,650 | 1,150,517 | 3,192 | 5,730 | 348,639 | 11,937 |
| 1996 | 13 | Dole (R) | 1,091,060 | 1,138,350 | — | 9,174 | 159,861 | — |
| GREEN | ||||||||
| 2000 | 13 | *Bush, G. W. (R) | 1,217,290 | 1,437,490 | 59,398 | 15,198 | ||
that time to avail themselves of the option and become independent municipalities, their decision laid the foundation for the independence of Virginia's present-day cities from county government. In 1842, Richmond became the commonwealth's first charter city. Cities elect their own officials (typically including council members and city managers), levy their own taxes, and are unencumbered by county obligations. Incorporated towns, on the other hand, remain part of the counties.
In general, counties are governed by elected boards of supervisors, with a county administrator or executive handling day-to-day affairs; other typical county officials are the clerk of the circuit court (chief administrator of the court), county treasurer, commissioner of the revenue, commonwealth's attorney, and sheriff. Incorporated towns have elected mayors and councils.