Tuesday, April 21 marks Election Day in Alexandria for a statewide redistricting voter referendum and a special election for a City Council seat.
Candidates in the City Council special election are Democrat Sandy Marks and independent candidates Alison O’Connell and Frank Fannon. Marks is the former chair of the Alexandria Democratic Committee, Fannon is a former Republican member of City Council from 2009 to 2012, and O’Connell is a founding member of Alexandria for Palestinian Human Rights.
The other item on the ballot will decide whether redrawn congressional district maps will move forward. The ballot question asks voters if Virginia’s Constitution should be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily redraw congressional maps for the upcoming election and resume the normal redistricting process after the 2030 U.S. Census.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters should bring an accepted form of identification to their assigned polling place. Voters without an accepted ID may sign an ID confirmation statement.
After 7 p.m., results are expected to be published on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
According to the Alexandria Office of Voter Registration and Elections, election officials are not allowed to provide information about candidates or the ballot referendum. A sample ballot is available on the elections office website.
Several polling place changes are in effect for the April 21 election. During City Hall’s renovation, the City Hall Precinct has been relocated to Lyles Crouch School (530 S. St. Asaph Street). Due to the George Mason Elementary construction project, that precinct was relocated to Trinity Church (2911 Cameron Mills Road). Other changes include the former Blessed Sacrament Precinct moving to North Quaker (1801 N. Quaker Lane) and the former View Alexandria Precinct moving to Hope Way (2800 Hope Way).
Alexandria City Public Schools made April 21 a student holiday due to numerous school sites being used as polling places.
According to early voting data through the April 18 deadline, the Office of Voter Registration and Elections reported 16,163 early in-person votes and 6,673 mail ballots returned out of 10,323 requested.
The more than 22,000 early votes represent about 19.6% of the city’s 116,285 registered voters as of March 1.
Mail ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, April 21 and received by noon on Friday, April 24. Ballots returned in person or by drop box must be in by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. A ballot drop box under video surveillance is available 24/7 outside the Office of Voter Registration and Elections (132 N. Royal Street, Suite 100), and all polling places will have ballot drop boxes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21.
The voter registration deadline was Tuesday, April 14, but same-day registration is available. To register and cast a provisional ballot on Election Day, residents must go to the correct locality and polling place. Provisional ballots will not be reflected in election night results but will be verified after the election.
Anyone with questions or concerns about the voting process or a voting site may notify an election officer or call the Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 703-746-4050.
The City Council contest is the last of a chain of special elections set off by former state Sen. Adam Ebbin’s (D-39) January announcement that he would resign to join Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) administration. Former Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) subsequently won a Democratic firehouse primary and special election for the open Senate seat. Her victory opened her House seat, which former City Councilman R. Kirk McPike won, creating the current City Council vacancy.
The three City Council candidates have participated in various forums, sharing their views on issues including the cost of living, Braddock Road changes, collective bargaining, sheriff’s office ICE transfer policy, the residential tax burden and more. The winning candidate will serve a City Council term expiring Dec. 31, 2027.
The redrawn maps in the proposed redistricting process could give Democrats a 9-1 advantage in congressional races. Virginia Democrats proposed the maps in response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states encouraged by President Donald Trump. If approved, the maps are slated to take effect for the 2026 congressional midterms. However, redistricting still faces a legal challenge even if voters approve the measure.
