Early voting has begun in the Commonwealth, and you know what that means; volunteers at municipal buildings statewide are pounding the pavement on a hot September day to pass out copious commercial quantities of “I voted” stickers to the early birds that turn out in droves. Whether it be curbside, absentee, by mail, provisional, or in person, Virginians are exercising that great muscle of democracy to vote their choice of candidate. As they enter and exit the early voting locations, they often walk by tents for the local Republican and Democratic parties.
Early voting will continue until November 1st in Virginia, and you can find your early voting office by searching the dropdown menu of counties on the Virginia Board of Elections website, linked here.
It’s important to bring an approved method of identification in order to vote. If you happen to forget your ID, or you do not have adequate documentation, you are still able to write an ID Confirmation Statement and fill out a provisional ballot. If you have documentation and forgot to bring it, you will be told where to send a copy of your documentation by the election officials. Full instructions regarding documentation can be found here.
We caught up with some voters in Henrico and Chesterfield County this morning during in-person and curbside voting and asked their thoughts on the upcoming election, as well as the issues that are important to them going into early voting.
We spoke to Michael from Western Henrico, who says that he has preferred to vote during the early voting period in past elections, and continued that tradition today. Michael told us that there was virtually no wait at the booth, and he “was in and out in under two minutes.” He is focused on the gubernatorial race “first and foremost,” and says that the issues most important to him are health care, gun control, and education. When asked why he likes to vote during the early voting period, he told us, “No time like the present.”
We also spoke to Barbara from Chesterfield, who is a former government teacher who describes herself as “very active in the political process and the voting process.”
“I found that a lot of folk are not even aware that they can [cast an] early vote. I think now the last several years they’ve become more aware(…), I sent a text out to all my family and friends saying, ‘Hey, let’s get out there and get [your] votes in early. Your vote is your boss, and it’s important that we get active in this process and turn this country around.”
Barbara said that the top issues for her this year are “protection of our freedom and equal rights, healthcare, education, safety, and just making the country a better place,” as well as an attitude adjustment.
“I think we’ve seen a lot of negativity, a lot of divisiveness.” Barbara says that she votes for candidates who have messages which “bring the country together,” and encourage “better humanity for all of us.”
Politicians from around the state were seen campaigning in the Richmond suburbs, including Abigail Spanberger, John Reid, Winsome Sears, and various candidates for the House of Delegates. In Hanover, for example, Delegate Buddy Fowler was spotted chatting with members of the Hanover County Republican Party staffing their tent before casting his vote.
Voting is so far higher than the first day of early voting in 2021 in most places across the Commonwealth, according to sources familiar. We’ll have a better picture on Monday, when the Department of Elections publishes the results of early voting in all 133 localities, on who’s ahead, and where.
State Navigate is currently working on two interactive tools to help inform the public on early voting patterns in the Commonwealth, so stick with our coverage to get the latest updates on the Virginia election.
