voting | ALXnow

Early voting to begin this week for August congressional primaries in Alexandria

Published June 16, 2026 at 11:45AM | Updated June 16, 2026 at 12:14PM

Charles Houston Recreation Center on Election Day, April 21, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Early voting is set to begin Thursday, June 18 for 2026 congressional primary elections in Alexandria, according to the city’s Office of Voter Registration and Elections.

The elections on Aug. 4 will include a Democratic primary for U.S. House of Representatives in the 8th Congressional District and a Republican primary to decide who will run against Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) for U.S. Senate. Virginia voters are not registered by party, so they can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

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Alexandria City Council to vote on relocating polling place after 63 years

By James Cullum

Published June 9, 2026 at 3:45PM

Voting in Alexandria (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria’s City Council will soon decide on moving a polling place that’s been active since Aug. 27, 1963.

That’s just one day before the historic civil rights March on Washington. For 63 years, the Blessed Sacrament Precinct at Blessed Sacrament Church (1427 W. Braddock Road) has been the polling place for parts of central Alexandria on primary and election days. City staff will ask City Council at its meeting tonight (June 9) to send the matter to its public hearing docket set for June 13.

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Alexandria Del. McPike helps lead campaign to repeal same-sex marriage ban in Va. Constitution

By James Cullum

Published June 2, 2026 at 2:45PM

City Council Member R. Kirk McPike speaks at Alexandria’s 8th Annual Pride Fair at Market Square on Saturday, June 28, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Five months ahead of a statewide referendum to repeal an unenforceable ban on same-sex marriage in Virginia, Alexandria Del. R. Kirk McPike (D-5) has been named the co-chair of a campaign to amend the Constitution of Virginia.

McPike, who is in a same-sex marriage, helped launch the Virginians for Marriage Equality campaign in Richmond on Monday (June 1) for the first day of Pride Month. McPike told ALXnow that the campaign will be visible and looking for volunteers to sign up at community Pride events this month across the Commonwealth.

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Alexandria NAACP, elected officials slam Virginia Supreme Court’s redistricting ruling

By Emily Leayman and The Associated Press

Published May 11, 2026 at 1:45PM

Signs supporting and opposing redistricting on April 6, 2026 in Old Town Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Elected officials representing Alexandria have joined the Alexandria NAACP in condemning the Virginia Supreme Court’s overturning of the redistricting referendum.

Voters had narrowly approved the referendum to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts — with 51.69% in favor — on April 21. The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the voter-approved constitutional amendment in a 4-3 ruling Friday (May 8), with the majority citing procedural violations in how the amendment was placed on the ballot.

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Turnout tops 42% as redistricting vote, City Council race draw Alexandrians to polls

By James Cullum

Published April 21, 2026 at 3:55PM | Updated April 21, 2026 at 4:29PM

Charles Houston Recreation Center on Election Day, April 21, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

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.

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Tuesday’s special election ballot includes City Council race, redistricting amendment

By Emily Leayman

Published April 20, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated April 20, 2026 at 5:12PM

Signs supporting and opposing redistricting on April 6, 2026 in Old Town Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

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.

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Spanberger signs Alexandria legislators’ bills on guns, immigration, national popular vote

By Emily Leayman

Published April 14, 2026 at 12:30PM | Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:43PM

(Left to right) Virginia House Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring (D-4th), State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39th) and Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd) at the Alexandria Democratic Committee's Labor Day Picnic at The Garden Alexandria, 5380 Eisenhower Avenue, Sept. 1, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Numerous pieces of legislation from Alexandria lawmakers are officially set to become law or are heading back to the General Assembly with amendments after action by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).

Among the approximately 1,200 bills passed out of the 2026 session, legislation on guns, housing, the national popular vote, energy and immigration enforcement all came by way of state senators and delegates representing Alexandria. Most signed bills will take effect on July 1, 2026, unless otherwise specified.

News

With 19,000 voters expected at school sites, April 21 student holiday approved at ACPS

By Emily Leayman

Published March 30, 2026 at 2:45PM

Voting at Douglas MacArthur School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Alexandria City School Board approved April 21 as a student holiday as election officials anticipate high turnout for the special election at school-based polling sites. While students will be off, ACPS staff will have a work day.

Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt presented the School Board with the proposal last Thursday (March 26) after a discussion with Alexandria’s election officials. April 21 is the date of the special elections to decide a statewide mid-decade redistricting amendment for Virginia’s congressional districts and fill former Councilman R. Kirk McPike’s City Council seat following his election to Virginia’s 5th House District.

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Early voting in Alexandria begins Friday for City Council special election

By Katie Taranto

Published March 4, 2026 at 10:00AM

Voting at Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library in Alexandria's West End, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria voters can begin casting early ballots this Friday to participate in the city’s April 21 special election.

This includes the City Council race and a proposed constitutional amendment to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps.

News

Cesar Madison Tapia, a social studies teacher and political TikToker, joins City Council race

By James Cullum

Published February 2, 2026 at 9:30AM

Cesar Madison Tapia is running for the Alexandria City Council (courtesy photo, via Cesar Madison Tapia/Instagram)

Cesar Madison Tapia, a D.C. middle school teacher with viral political videos on TikTok, is running for Alexandria City Council.

Madison Tapia announced his candidacy on Friday on Instagram, and he had planned to discuss it during the Alexandria Democratic Committee’s now-canceled meeting tonight (Monday). The 26-year-old candidate teaches social studies at MacFarland Middle School in D.C. and has made hundreds of TikToks discussing politics and criticizing the Trump administration.

News

Early voting begins Saturday in Alexandria as registration deadline approaches

By Katie Taranto

Published January 28, 2026 at 2:45PM

'I voted' stickers on Election Day in Alexandria, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Deadlines are approaching for voter registration and mail-in ballot requests to participate in the Feb. 10 special election.

Early in-person voting kicks off this Saturday at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections (132 N. Royal Street, Suite 100). By-mail ballot requests must be received by the office by 5 p.m. this Friday, Jan. 30, while voter registration and updates must be completed by Tuesday, Feb. 3.