Voting in the 8th

Qualifications
Registration
Voting in person
Voting absentee
Persons with disabilities

Qualifications

Any person meeting the following qualifications is eligible to vote in a city or county in Virginia:

• U.S. citizen;
• 18 years or older;
• legal resident of that city or county;
• not claiming voting rights elsewhere; and
• not disqualified (for felony conviction or other reason).

More information on voter qualification in Virginia is available from the State Board of Elections.

Registration procedure

Each voter must be registered to vote in his/her city or county at least 30 days before the election is held. You may register:

• In person -- At your city or county Voter Registration Office (see list, at right) or at any Virginia DMV office (see DMV list).
• By mail -- Virginia voter registration forms are available at many public buildings (including City and County Offices, the state Dept. of Motor Vehicles) and at all local GOP headquarters. Or you may download and print the form. Completed forms should be mailed to your local voter registration office.

More information on registering to vote is available from the State Board of Elections, Local information is available from the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County and the City of Falls Church. For help with registration, contact your local Republican committee.

Voting in person

Place: There are 151 precincts in the 8th District (70 in Fairfax, 50 in Arlington, 26 in Alexandria, and 5 in Falls Church). Each precinct has its own polling place (see list). You can find your precinct and polling location through the State Board of Elections look-up service. Or you may contact your local voter registration office (see box at upper right).

Time: Polling places in Virginia are open from 6 am to 7 pm. Please note the closing time is 7 pm, not 8 pm as in many other states. Polls close promptly at 7 pm -- if you are not in line by that exact time, you will not be allowed to vote. If you're voting late in the day (especially if traveling by car or transit), please allow plenty of time to make sure you reach the polling place before 7 pm.

ID: You must bring a valid form of identification (such as driver's license or voter ID card) to the polling place. If you do not have one, you will be asked to sign an affidavit, which is subject to criminal penalties for perjury.

Information at polls: Blank sample ballots are posted at each polling place. Sample ballots with endorsements are available from campaign workers outside the location. Be sure to ask for a Republican sample ballot!

Machines: All precincts in the 8th District are equipped with modern voting machines. The City of Alexandria and the City of Falls Church use "eSlate" machines. "WINvote" machines are used by Arlington County and Fairfax County.

If you need assistance with transportation to and from your polling place, or information about the candidates, please contact contact your local Republican committee.

Voting absentee

If you are not able to vote in person on Election Day because of absence from your residence (due to work, school, military duties) or because of illness/disability, you may vote by absentee ballot. Absentee voting may be done by mail or in person.

Voting absentee by mail: This is a multi-step process:

1. Request an official absentee ballot request form, by contacting your local elections office. Alternatively, you may download and print the Virginia absentee ballot form from the State Board of Elections, or localized versions from Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County.

2. Submit the request form to your local elections office. The request form MUST be signed and submitted by U.S. mail, fax or in person. You cannot submit the request form by email. Also, the request form MUST be received by the registrar no later than the Tuesday before Election Day. (NOTE: As of 2006, the deadline is Tuesday, not Thursday.)

3. The office will then mail an absentee ballot to the address you specify.

4. Follow the instructions, complete the ballot, and submit it in the envelope provided. You MUST submit the absentee ballot either by U.S. mail or in person. You CANNOT submit the ballot by fax or email.

Voting absentee in person: This option allows you to complete all steps of the absentee balloting process at one time, thus eliminating the risk of mail delay. It is often more convenient for voters who will be in Northern Virginia at some point in the weeks preceding the election.

Absentee voting in person begins about 45 days before a November election (about 30 days before a primary or city election), during regular business hours. The last day for in-person absentee voting is the final Saturday before the elction.

The process is simple. Simply go to your local elections office during normal business hours. Ask for an official absentee ballot request form, complete the form, and submit it. You will then receive your absentee ballot (or access to a voting machine), so you may cast your vote in person.

If you'd like assistance with absentee voting (by mail or in person), please contact your local Republican committee.

More information on voting absentee is available from Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church, and from the State Board of Elections.

Voters with disabilities

All polling places are wheelchair-accessible. Voters with disabilities may bring someone to assist with voting, or may request an election official to assist. Polling places have magnifying devices available for those with limited vision. Those who have difficulty walking may request curbside voting. In lieu of voting in person, voters with physical disabilities may vote absentee by mail.

More information on services for voters with disabilities is available from the City of Alexandria, Arlington County and the State Board of Elections.