The Alexandria ballot will include President and Vice President of the United States, U.S. House of Representatives (Eighth Congressional District), and two proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. There are no local ballot questions or local offices particular to Alexandria on the ballot this year, but voter turnout in the City of Alexandria could well have an impact on the outcome of the presidential contest in Virginia.
Absentee Voting in Person in Alexandria
Voting begins Sept. 23, and with record turnout possible, voting early if you qualify is a good choice.
There are 19 valid reasons to vote absentee in Virginia, including working and commuting to and from home for 11 or more hours between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Election Day. Check the Virginia Department of Elections list to see if you are eligible. http://elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/index.html
There are two ways to vote absentee, in-person and by mail. To do either, you should first check your voter registration status to make sure it is up-to-date. If you vote absentee in-person you will fill out the application when you arrive at the in-person absentee location. There are two locations in Alexandria, the Office of Elections and the Beatley Library.
Office of Voter Registration & Elections
132 North Royal Street, Suite 100 (beginning Friday, September 23)
In-person absentee voting at the Voter Registration Office begins on Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 a.m. and ends on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.
Regular hours for in-person absentee voting are Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Closed on Monday, Oct. 10.)
Extended hours for in-person absentee voting:
Saturdays, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..
Thursday, Oct. 27, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 28, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 31, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 3, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
You may complete your absentee application when you come to vote.
Beatley Library, beginning Thursday, Oct. 27
5005 Duke Street
The hours will be as follows:
Thursday, Oct. 27, noon to 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 28, noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m.to 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 31, noon to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 1, noon to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 2, noon to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 3, noon to 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4, noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Virginia Voter ID
Virginia has a stringent voter identification requirement, plan to bring photo identification with you to vote, whether that is absentee or on Election Day.
Among accepted ID: valid Virginia Driver’s License or Identification Card; valid Virginia DMV issued Veteran’s ID card; valid U.S. Passport; other government-issued photo identification cards issued by the U.S. Government, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth; valid college or university student photo identification card from an institution of higher education located in Virginia; valid student ID issued by a public school or private school in Virginia displaying a photo; employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer’s business.
Any registered voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification can apply for a free Virginia Voter Photo Identification from any general registrar’s office in the Commonwealth. Voters applying for the Virginia Voter Photo ID complete the Virginia Voter Photo Identification Card Application, have their picture taken, and sign the digital signature pad. Once the application is processed, the card will be mailed directly to the voter.
A voter who does not bring an acceptable photo ID to the polls will be offered a provisional ballot.
Provisional Ballot Process for Voters Who Arrive Without Identification
If you arrive at your polling place on Election Day without an acceptable form of photo identification, don’t panic or give up. You will be given the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot. After completing the provisional ballot, the individual voting will be given written instructions from the election officials on how to submit a copy of his/her identification so that his/her vote can be counted.
A voter will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the identification to the local electoral board or to appear in person to apply for a Virginia Voter Photo ID Card. Voters may submit a copy of their ID via fax, email, in-person submission, or through USPS or commercial delivery service. Please note that the copy of the ID must be delivered to the electoral board by noon on Friday, or the provisional ballot cannot be counted.
Also by noon on Friday following the election, the voter may appear in-person in the office of the general registrar, in the locality in which the provisional ballot was cast, and apply for a Virginia Voter Photo ID Card. At the completion of the application process, the voter may request a Temporary Identification Document. This document may be provided to the electoral board to suffice the identification requirement.
Virginia Constitutional Amendments
Two proposed Virginia Constitutional Amendments will also be on the ballot:
Ballot Question 1: Should Article I of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to prohibit any agreement or combination between an employer and a labor union or labor organization whereby (i) nonmembers of the union or organization are denied the right to work for the employer, (ii) membership to the union or organization is made a condition of employment or continuation of employment by such employer, or (iii) the union or organization acquires an employment monopoly in any such enterprise?
The proposed amendment places the provisions of Virginia’s right to work law into the Constitution of Virginia. While Virginia law may be amended by any future General Assembly, a constitutional prohibition can only be changed by a future constitutional amendment approved by the voters.
Ballot Question 2: Shall the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to provide an option to the localities to exempt from taxation the real property of the surviving spouse of any law-enforcement officer, firefighter, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel who was killed in the line of duty, where the surviving spouse occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence and has not remarried?