More than 42% of registered Alexandria voters have headed to the polls to vote on today’s congressional redistricting referendum and a special election for an open seat on Alexandria City Council.
As of 4 p.m., 19,183 voters cast in-person ballots across the city, in addition to 22,836 mail-in and in-person early ballots, adding up to 42,019 total ballots cast, according to figures released by Angie Maniglia Turner, the city’s general registrar and elections director. Turner said she is expecting gubernatorial-level turnout on the decision to amend Virginia’s Constitution 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.
The City Council candidates 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.
Fannon said he has visited more than 20 precincts so far today and will watch the results come in at Vola’s Dockside Grill (101 N. Union Street).
“I’ve been getting incredible feedback from homeowners who have told me how disappointed they are in the current City Council in reference to permitting four-unit apartment buildings in single-family neighborhoods, bike lanes on Braddock Road and annual property tax increases,” Fannon told ALXnow.
Marks said the day has been uplifting and that she has visited many precincts. She will watch the results tonight at Hi/Fi Tex-Mex BBQ (2000 Mount Vernon Avenue).
“The day has been great,” Marks told ALXnow. “So upbeat and uplifting. Just left a gaggle of ACPS kid-volunteers holding down the polls for me at MacArthur!”
O’Connell said she has had many conversations with voters and will watch the results at The Pita House (719 King Street) in Old Town.
“Really looking forward to hanging out with some of the volunteers who have helped so much,” O’Connell told ALXnow. “It’s been a good day at the polls, too! Lots of good conversations with voters.”
At Charles Houston Recreation Center, Maria L. voted yes on the referendum and for Sandy Marks for City Council.
“What’s important to me is affordable housing and treating people fairly,” she said. “We need to stop Trump.”
Another voter outside Charles Houston voted in favor of redistricting despite being opposed to the principle of gerrymandering.
“I weighed which was the greater evil,” the voter said, adding that she was not aware there was a City Council race. “I had to call a friend of mine who pays attention to these things and read some campaign literature before making my decision.”
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. 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 will be published on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
