Early voting began on Friday, April 23 for the June 8 Democratic Primary in Virginia.
On this first day for early voting, voters could cast their ballot at the Fairfax County Government Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Starting Saturday, April 24, however, three locations will be open for early voting:
• Fairfax County Government Center
• Mount Vernon Governmental Center
• North County Governmental Center
These three early voting sites will be open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until June 1 when longer hours will be offered. These same locations also will be open on Saturday, April 24, May 29 and June 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME that Fairfax County is making multiple locations available at the very start of early voting.
Any registered Fairfax County voter can vote early, and can cast their ballot at any early voting site.
An additional 13 early voting locations will be offered beginning May 29. Voting hours at these locations will be from 2 to 7 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. Saturday hours will only be offered at these locations on May 29 and June 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Laurel Hill Golf Club will only be available for voting on Saturdays.
The last day to vote early is Saturday, June 5 at 5 p.m.
To keep voters and poll workers safe, social distancing and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures will be followed at every early voting site.
The June 8 election is only a primary for Democratic Party candidates for the following offices:
• Governor
• Lieutenant Governor
• Attorney General
• House of Delegates (34, 36, 38, 45, 49 and 86th Districts only)
There is no Republican primary election in Fairfax County. The party has chosen to nominate its statewide candidates through a convention. In Virginia, political parties decide how they nominate their candidates, including using caucuses, mass meetings, primary elections and other methods.
By law, voters must show identification when they vote — but a photo ID, like a driver’s license, is no longer required. You may use as ID a copy of your:
• Current utility bill.
• Bank statement.
• Government check.
• Paycheck.
• Other government document with the voter’s name and address.
Photo IDs remain an acceptable form of identification — and you can use an expired Virginia driver’s license no matter how long ago it expired.
For voters who already requested them, their absentee ballots will begin to arrive in the mail after April 23.
TO VOTE BY MAIL in the primary, you must apply by May 28, and any registered voter can absentee vote by mail without needing a reason or excuse. Applying earlier is better.
The fastest and most secure way to apply is online on the Virginia Department of Elections website. You’ll also be able to track the status of your application, as well as when your ballot is mailed to you. Your Virginia driver’s license number is needed to apply online, along with the last four digits of your Social Security number.
If you don’t want to mail back your cast ballot, you can return it at a drop-off box at any early voting site during the hours they’re open. There also will be a 24-hour secure, drop-off box available outside the Fairfax County Government Center.
For questions or more information about voting and deadlines, contact the Fairfax County Office of Elections at 703-222-0776, TTY 711.