By Karen Kirk:
Fairfax County residents can choose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to be their president and vice president at the Fairfax County Government Center, where early voting in person is now underway and mail-in absentee ballots can be dropped off or mailed.
There are three ways to vote:
- In-person early voting.
- Absentee voting by mail (in which your ballot can also be dropped off).
- Voting in person on November 3.
In-person voting
You no longer need a reason to vote early in Virginia. The first thing that you should do is check your voter registration status to make sure it’s up-to-date. The voter registration deadline is October 13.
- You can vote in person at the Fairfax County Government Center through October 31, in Suite 323, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035, conference rooms 2 and 3.
- Through October 13, the hours will be 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Beginning on October 14, hours are extended to between 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays.
These satellite locations will open for absentee voting from October 14- October 31 — Monday through Friday, 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Great Falls is only open on Saturdays beginning October 17.)
- Centreville Regional Library: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee-locations/centreville-regional-library14200 St. Germain Drive, Centreville, VA 20121
- Franconia Governmental Center: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee-locations/franconia-governmental-center6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310
- Great Falls Library: 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066 (Only open on Saturdays beginning October 17)
- Herndon Fortnightly Library: 768 Center St. Herndon, VA 20170
- Laurel Hills Golf Course: 8701 Laurel Crest Dr., Lorton, VA 22079
- Mason Governmental Center: 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003
- McLean Governmental Center: 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101
- Mount Vernon Governmental Center: 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306
- North County Governmental Center: 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston, VA 20190
- Providence Community Center: 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031
- Sully Governmental Center: 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, VA 20151
- Thomas Jefferson Library: 7415 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22042
- Tysons-Pimmit Library: 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043
- West Springfield Governmental Center: 6140 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA 22152
Mail-in Ballots
Virginia is now mailing ballots to those who have applied for absentee ballots. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail, fax, or email is Friday, October 23, by 5 p.m. Due to reported problems of slow mail delivery by the United States Postal Service, you should request a ballot as soon as possible and return it quickly.
Your ballot must be postmarked by the Office of Elections no later than November 3 and must be received by noon on November 6. You can start the process and track the status of your mail-in ballot request here here.
If you decide that you don’t want to mail your ballot due to slow mail delivery, the Virginia General Assembly has approved the use of drop boxes at precincts and satellite locations as well as the Office of Elections in the Fairfax County Government Center, Suite 323. But only when those locations are open. Voters can return their ballot to any precinct from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.
Voters who requested a mail-in ballot but decide they want to vote in person on Election Day, should bring their mail ballot with them to their voting precinct from 6 a.m.-7 p.m., on November 3, where officials will void it.
If you have a disability, you can request to vote curbside on Election Day. A phone number will be prominently displayed outside of the voting locations that you can call, and a voting machine will be brought out to you. Here is more information on voting disability services.
Here’s more information on early voting.
Main Photo: Photo of Joe Biden provided by Amanda Linton and photo of Kamala Harris provided by Deshundra Jefferson.
Karen Kirk is the Deputy Editor/Photo Editor of The Blue View and a retired journalist who worked for the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, which later became the McClatchy/Tribune News Service.