As calendar pages turn toward the Nov. 2 election day for Virginia’s State-wide offices nears, voters have several voting options. Driven by COVID-19 work around considerations, Virginia’s legislature has authorized new contactless voting options, including in person early voting, voting by mail and voting by dropping your completed ballot in a secure drop box. Early voting in person begins Sept. 17 at three locations.
County voters may wish to begin thinking about, not just their candidate selections, but also about how they will place their votes.
On the ballot: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, your member of the House of Delegates, and a School Bond Question for Fairfax County Public Schools.
Sample ballots are posted https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/sample-ballots.
DROP BOXES will be available at Fairfax County early voting locations, and on election day, at all polling places, during voting hours. Voters may return their completed, sealed “mail in’ ballots to a secure drop box, without involving the U.S. Postal Service. The drop boxes, located either outside of regular voting rooms or near building entrances, provide a quick, contact-free way to assure one’s ballot is received, and without need to affix postage to return it. The Fairfax County Government building also has a secure drop box installed outside, permitting voters to drop off their ballots there 24/7; providing a return option when early voting sites are not open. Drop boxes are available for use on election day at all polling places from 6 am - 7 pm.
Those wishing to vote early, by mail, can request a ballot starting now. Ballots are sent to requestors as received, beginning 45 days before the election; that’s beginning mid-September. Once marked and sealed, ballots may be returned by mail, or to the special secure drop boxes at the early voting locations outside of the mail stream.
Details on voting by mail are available here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee-voting-mail
EARLY IN-PERSON voting locations are open Sept. 17 - Oct. 30 at three government center sites: Fairfax County, Mount Vernon, and North County.
Any registered Fairfax County voter may vote early at any Fairfax County early voting location.
Early in-person absentee voting is available for the November 2021 General & Special Elections at the following three locations from Sept. 17 through Oct. 30.
Fairfax County Government Center
12000 Government Center Pkwy, Conference Rooms 2/3, Fairfax 22035
Mt. Vernon Governmental Center
2511 Parkers Ln, Alexandria 22306
North County Governmental Center
1801 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston 20190
Thirteen additional early in-person voting sites are open Oct. 21 - Oct. 30. The list of early voting sites, their addresses, and days/hours of operation can be found on the Board of Elections website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.
Another early option, in-person curbside voting is available at every early voting location for people 65 or older or with a physical disability. But the elections website warns: curbside voting doesn’t put you at the front of the line, and voters should expect to wait. Voters are recommended to go to the Fairfax County Government Center which has 20 curbside spaces set aside. Curb-side voting also is available on election day, Nov. 2. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/disability-services
On Election Day polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be able to vote.
Questions about early voting, including voter registration, voting options, damaged ballots, and ballot tracking may be addressed to the Board of Elections at voting@fairfaxcounty.gov, or by calling 703 222.0776, Monday- Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.