VA Election 2021: Early Voting Set To Begin In Reston

RESTON, VA — Early voting will kick off Friday, Sept. 17 for the Virginia general election, which will decide races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and House of Delegates.

Fairfax County has no local races in 2021, so the Tuesday, Nov. 2 ballot will contain statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general as well as all House of Delegates seats. Fairfax County voters will also have a $360 million public school bond ballot question. Virginia voters do not need an excuse to vote early due to 2020 state legislation.

In-person early voting

In Fairfax County, three in-person early voting sites will open on Sept. 17 through Oct. 30: Fairfax County Government Center, Mount Vernon Governmental Center and North County Governmental Center. Hours will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays at the Fairfax County Government Center and noon to 7 p.m. weekdays at the Mount Vernon and North County Governmental Centers. All three sites will be open on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 23 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 24 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Another 13 early voting locations will open on Thursday, Oct. 21 through Oct. 30. Hours will be noon to 7 p.m. on weekdays as well as Saturday, Oct. 23 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 24 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. These locations include Burke Centre Library, Centreville Regional Library, Franconia Governmental Center, Gerry Hyland Government Center, Great Falls Library, Herndon Fortnightly Library, Mason Governmental Center, McLean Governmental Center, Providence Community Center, Sully Governmental Center, Thomas Jefferson Library, Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, and West Springfield Governmental Center.

Early voters will use an electronic ballot-marking machine called an ExpressVote. Voters use the machine’s touch screen to print out a paper ballot then cast their vote in the voting machine.

An acceptable form of ID is required to vote in person, but it is no longer required to be a photo ID. Examples of accepted ID include a Virginia driver's license, DMV-issued ID, U.S. passport, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck and more.

Early voting by mail

Voters who request a ballot by mail will begin early voting on Sept. 17. Ballots may be dropped off at a drop box at any early voting site during voting hours, and a secure 24/7 drop box is located outside the Fairfax County Government Center.

The quickest way to request an absentee ballot is through the Virginia Department of Elections online portal. To apply online, a Virginia driver’s license number and last four digits of your Social Security number are needed.

Paper applications may also be picked up at Fairfax County governmental centers and Fairfax County library branches or downloaded online. Return paper applications by email to AbsenteeBallot@fairfaxcounty.gov, by mail to Fairfax County Office of Elections P.O. Box 10161, Fairfax, VA 22038, by fax to 703-324-3725 or in person to Fairfax County Office of Elections, 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Suite 323, Fairfax, VA 22035.

While the witness signature requirement was exempted earlier in the pandemic, it is again legally required for the November 2021 election and future elections in Virginia. Voters must sign the return envelope and include a witness signature with the completed ballot.

The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. on Oct. 22. Mail-in ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. on Nov. 2 in person or be postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by noon on Nov. 5.

For those who are not registered to vote or need to update their address, the voter registration deadline is Oct. 12 by 5 p.m. in-person, 11:59 p.m. online, or postmarked by mail on Oct. 12.

What's on the ballot

All ballots will contain races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. The Virginia House of Delegates race will depend on which district you live in. A full list of sample ballots is available on the Fairfax County Office of Elections website.

Here are the ballots for Rseston area House of Delegates districts.

Governor

• Glenn A.Youngkin-R
• Terry R.McAuliffe-D
• Princess L. Blanding-LP

Lieutenant Governor

• Winsome E. Sears-R
• Hala S. Ayala-D

Attorney General

• Jason S. Miyares-R
• Mark R. Herring-D

House of Delegates - 36th District (36th District only)

• Matthew J. Lang-R
• Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum-D

Public School Bonds

Shall Fairfax County, Virginia, contract a debt, borrow money, and issue capital improvement bonds in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $360,000,000 for the purposes of providing funds, in addition to funds from school bonds previously authorized, to finance, including reimbursement to the County for temporary financing for, the costs of school improvements, including acquiring, building, expanding, and renovating properties, including new sites, new buildings or additions, renovations and improvements to existing buildings, and furnishings and equipment, for the Fairfax County public school system?

More information: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.