Early Voting Begins For 2024 Election: What's On Arlington Ballots

ARLINGTON, VA — Early voting in Virginia for the Nov. 5 general election begins Sept. 20. Voters will cast ballots to decide who will be the next president and vice president, as well as who will represent them on Capitol Hill.

Arlington voters will also be casting ballots for candidates in the county board and school board races, as well as voting on a referendum to amend the Virginia constitution and on four Arlington County bonds.

For the first time, voters will be using ranked choice voting to choose the candidate who will fill the vacant seat on the Arlington County Board. They will choose from Democrat Julius D. "JD" Spain Sr., Republican Juan C. Fierro and Future Party candidates Madison F. Granger and Audrey R. Clement.

Voters will also choose which of four candidates will fill the two vacant seats on the Arlington County School Board: James Vell Rives IV, Paul C. Weiss, Zuraya Tapia-Hadley and Kathleen A. Clark. The Arlington Democrats have endorsed Tapia-Hadley and Clark.

In the 8th congressional district, incumbent U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D) is facing three challengers — Republican Jerry W. Torres and David R. Kennedy and Bentley F. Hensel, who are running as independents.

The 8th district encompasses all of Arlington County and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, as well as portions Fairfax County east of the I-495/I-95 corridor. The 8th congressional district is solidly Democrat, according to the 2024 Cook Political Report's House Race Ratings.

In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Sen. Timothy Kaine (D) is running against Republican Hung Cao.

Voter Registration: The deadline for registering to vote in the Nov. 5 general election is Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. (in-person) and 11:59 p.m. (online). Same day registration is available after this deadline. Voters can check their registration status, register online, check their voting history and find their local precinct by visiting the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.

Where And When To Vote Early

Early voting begins in Virginia on Friday, Sept. 20 and ends on Saturday, Nov. 2. Arlington voters have four locations to cast an in-person ballot during the early voting period.

Courthouse Plaza - 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 320

• Sept. 20-Oct. 15: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Oct. 16-Nov. 2: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center* - 333 Long Bridge Drive

• Sept. 20-Oct. 15: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Oct. 16-Nov. 2: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

*Early voting at Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center will be closed on Sunday, Oct. 27 due to the Marine Corps Marathon.

Madison Community Center - 3829 N Stafford St.

• Oct. 16-Nov. 2: Monday-Friday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Walter Reed Community Center - 2909 16th St. S

• Oct. 16-Nov. 2: Monday-Friday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Absentee Ballot: Voters can apply for an absentee ballot online or complete a form to submit a ballot by mail or email at the Department of Elections Citizen Portal or complete an application form. Voters will need to provide their Social Security number and Virginia driver's license when submitting an application online. Voters will be able to apply for a specific election or to permanently receive mail-in ballots for every election that they are eligible to vote. Voters can also track their mail-in ballot and their ballot status online.

Mail-In Ballot Deadlines: The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is 5 p. m. on Friday, Oct. 25. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received by noon on Nov. 8.

Returning Mail-In Ballots In Person: Ballots can also be returned at any of the four early voting sites while they are open or at any Arlington polling place on election day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

24-Hour Ballot Drop Boxes - Ballots can also be dropped off at one of the nine 24-hour drop boxes listed below:

• Courthouse Plaza - 2100 Clarendon Blvd. Located outside of the entrance on Clarendon Boulevard.
• Aurora Hills Community Center - 735 18th St. S. To the left of the entrance to the community center and library.
• Arlington Mill Community Center - 909 S Dinwiddie St. On the sidewalk by the entrance on Dinwiddie Street.
• Central Library 1015 N Quincy St. Located off the main parking lot close to the entrance to the ADA ramp.
• Langston-Brown Community Center - 2121 N Culpeper St. Located off the main parking lot, on the southwest corner of the building.
• Madison Community Center - 3829 N Stafford St. Located to the left of the Stafford St entrance by the dog park.
• Shirlington Library - 4200 Campbell Ave. Located to the left of the main entrance into the library.
• Walter Reed Community Center - 2909 16th St S. Located along the building to the right of the main entrance to the building.
• Westover Library - 1644 N McKinley. Located to the left of the library entrance on McKinley Street.

What's On The Ballot

President And Vice President

• Kamala D. Harris/ Tim Walz (D)
• Donald Trump/ JD Vance (R)
• Jill E. Stein/Rudolph T. Ware (Green)
• Chase R. Oliver/Mike ter Maat (L)
• Claudia De la Cruz/Karina Garcia (I)
• Cornel R. West/Melina Abdullah (I)

U.S. Senate

• Timothy M. Kaine (D)*
• Hung Cao (R)

U.S. House of Representatives (8th District)

• Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D)*
• Jerry W. Torres (R)
• David R. Kennedy (I)
• Bentley F. Hensel (I)

Arlington County Board

• Julius D. "JD" Spain Sr. (D)
• Juan C. Fierro (R)
• Madison F. Granger (F)
• Audrey R. Clement (I)

Arlington School Board

• James Vell Rives IV (F)
• Paul C. Weiss
• Zuraya Tapia-Hadley (D)
• Kathleen A. Clark (D)

* Incumbent

On The Ballot: Questions

Proposed Constitutional Amendment (Virginia)

• Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended so that the tax exemption that is currently available to the surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action is also available to the surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty? (Yes/No)

Arlington County Bond Issues

• Public Schools: Shall Arlington County contract a debt and issue its general obligation bonds in the maximum principal amount of $83,990,000 to finance, together with other available funds, the cost of various capital projects for Arlington Public Schools?
• Infrastructure: Shall Arlington County contract a debt and issue its general obligation bonds in the maximum principal amount of $76,150,000 to finance, together with other available funds, the cost of various capital projects, including but not limited to facilities maintenance capital, facilities design and construction, the Arlington Neighborhoods Program, and other County infrastructure?
• Parks and Recreation: Shall Arlington County contract a debt and issue its general obligation bonds in the maximum principal amount of $25,770,000 to finance, together with other available funds, the cost of various capital projects for local parks & recreation?
• WMATA/Transit/Transportation: Shall Arlington County contract a debt and issue its general obligation bonds in the maximum principal amount of $72,405,000 to finance, together with other available funds, the cost of various capital projects for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and other transit, pedestrian, road or transportation projects?