Absentee voting, including “in-person” absentee voting, is already underway for the June 11 primary, a statewide Democratic party primary for lieutenant governor and attorney general, plus one delegate race in Northern Virginia.
Voters in the Democratic primary will choose between Ralph S. Northam and Aneesh Chopra for lieutenant governor; and between Mark R. Herring and Justin E. Fairfax for attorney general.
Because voters do not register by party in Virginia, any voter can vote in the Democratic primary, but cannot vote in a Democratic and Republican primary on the same day.
The Republican party will nominate their candidates for statewide office in a convention to be held on May 17-18 in Richmond. Delegates to the convention were elected by locality in March and April.
Each locality is entitled to one Republican convention delegate vote per 250 Republican votes for governor and president at their last election, so that Fairfax County is entitled to 1,392 delegate votes; Arlington County is entitled to 215 delegate votes; Alexandria City is entitled to 133 delegate votes; the City of Fairfax is entitled to 32 delegate votes; Falls Church City is entitled to 14 delegate votes. Localities choose up to five times the number of delegates as votes, plus an equal number of alternates.
In Fairfax County, there is also Democratic primary for District 86, between Jennifer Boysko and Herb Kemp, with the winner facing incumbent Tom Rust (R). Democratic voters in the 86th House of Delegates District will find this on their ballots along with lieutenant governor and attorney general. (Precincts: Floris, Fox Mill, Stuart, Herndon #1, Herndon #2, Clearview, Herndon #3, Hutchison, Sugarland, Coates, Kinross West, Lees Corner #1 and Carson.)
The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 11.
Absentee voting allows qualified voters to participate in upcoming elections even though they may not be able to go to the polls on Election Day. Absentee voting in person began on April 26.
Most people in Northern Virginia qualify to vote absentee under this provision, although there are many others:
“Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his business, profession, or occupation, will be at his place of work and commuting to and from his home to his place of work for 11 or more hours of the 13 that the polls are open (6 a.m. to 7 p.m.).”
In Fairfax County, in-person absentee voting is ongoing through June 8 at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 323, Fairfax, VA 22035.
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Thursday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays (June 1 and June 8): 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Monday, May 27, for Memorial Day.
In Arlington, in person absentee voting is ongoing through June 8 at Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 320, hours 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed May 27 for Memorial Day, and Saturday, June 8, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
In Alexandria, regular hours for in-person absentee voting are Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections, 132 North Royal Street, Suite 100, Alexandria. Extended hours for in-person absentee voting are Tuesday, May 28, and Wednesday, May 29, from 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Monday, June 3 and Tuesday, June 4 from 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 8 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
You can also vote absentee by mail. The deadline to request a mailed ballot is June 4, by 5 p.m.
Absentee ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day June 11.
Here are some good sources for information on upcoming elections:
Virginia State Board of Elections, http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/,
Virginia Public Access Project, http://www.vpap.org/candidates?display=state,
Fairfax County Board of Elections, http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/ecalendar.htm,
Alexandria Board of Elections, http://www.alexandriava.gov/Elections,
Arlington Board of Elections, http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/VoterRegistration/VoterRegistrationMain.aspx.