Three weeks before the April 21 special election, more than 9,000 votes have been cast through in-person early voting and mail ballots, according to the Alexandria Office of Voter Registration and Elections.
According to data through Sunday (March 29), 4,245 people have voted early in person. General Registrar Angie Maniglia Turner told ALXnow another 244 early votes were counted through 3:30 p.m. Monday (March 30).
For mail voting, 4,522 ballots have been returned. Another 44 ballots need curing due to errors, and 436 were undeliverable or went unmarked. Of the 10,085 ballots sent out, 5,083 have not yet been returned.
The more than 9,000 early votes represent about 7.7% of the city’s 116,285 registered voters as of March 1.
The general registrar said election staff are finalizing preparations for Election Day, which features a City Council special election and a statewide voter referendum on mid-decade redistricting of congressional districts.
“Preparations include training and assigning election officers, preparing equipment and supplies, and managing both mail-in and early voting processes,” Maniglia Turner said.
The City Council special election will fill the seat vacated by Del. R. Kirk McPike (D-5), who won a special election to the Virginia General Assembly. Democrat Sandy Marks, independent and former Republican City Councilman Frank Fannon and independent Alison O’Connell — are running in the election.
The voter referendum will decide whether the Virginia General Assembly can temporarily amend Virginia’s congressional districts and return to the regular redistricting process after the 2030 U.S. Census. Democratic state legislators have put forward a map of the proposed redrawn districts that would keep Alexandria entirely within the 8th Congressional District.
Friday, April 10 will be the last day to request a mail ballot for the special election. Those ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on April 21 in person or postmarked by April 21 and received by the election office by noon on Friday, April 24.
On Election Day, ballot drop boxes will be available at all polling locations from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. A 24-hour drop box monitored by video surveillance is located outside the Office of Voter Registration and Elections, and will accept ballots through 7 p.m. Election Day.
April 14 will be the deadline for voter registration and updating an existing registration. Same-day registration is available after the deadline, allowing voters to cast a provisional ballot.
Early voting continues through Saturday, April 18 at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections (132 N. Royal Street). On Tuesday, April 21, polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters can find more information about voting on the city’s elections webpage.
