Voting: What you need to know
In Rappahannock, a 60 percent increase in absentee ballot requests
In Rappahannock, there’s already been a 60 percent increase in absentee ballot requests. A look at key dates and voting rules.
Beginning Friday, Rappahannock voters can start casting their ballots for the Nov. 3 general election. Between Friday and Oct. 31, “inperson” voting can be done at the county Voter Registration Office at 262-A Gay St., Washington, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. “Mail-in” absentee ballots will also start to be mailed to those who requested them.
“We have already received 700 applications for absentee mail-in ballots and I expect dozens of new applications before the request period closes on Oct. 23,” said Kimberly McKiernan, director of elections. “We are working diligently to get these applications approved and the ballots mailed out in a timely manner.”
McKiernan’s office has seen a 60 percent increase in absentee ballot requests as compared to the 2016 general election. While McKiernan doesn’t foresee problems getting the requested ballots mailed, she does “urge voters to mail in their ballots early to avoid any potential problems with postal delivery.”
But with hundreds of absentee ballots to be mailed this week, McKiernan asked that anyone planning to vote in-person this Friday to wait until Monday. “We will certainly accommodate inperson voters on Sept. 18, but we are going to be very busy that day. So, if it is possible for folks to wait a couple of days, it would lighten our load,” she said.
New changes
The Virginia General Assembly and Department of Elections have instituted several changes to the voting process. Among them:
➜ Absentee voters will not have to pay for postage to mail their ballots. Each absentee ballot will come with a prepaid envelope addressed to the county voter registration office.
➜ Each absentee ballot will be stamped with a unique barcode so voters can track their ballots by accessing the “Ballot Scout” internet site: tinyurl.com/rappballot
➜ “Drop boxes” (to avoid purchasing costly metal drop boxes, Rappahannock will use rigid, security-sealed bags) will be placed at each polling station for voters wishing to drop off their absentee ballots.
➜ Due to the pandemic, witnesses will not be required to validate absentee ballots.
Enough poll workers?
In the 2018 general election, a Pew Research Center analysis found almost six in 10 U.S. poll workers were age 61 or older, with roughly a quarter over 70. As many of these older poll workers are at higher risk for COVID, concerns have been reported that some will stay home, leading to staff shortages at the polls in Virginia and around the nation.
McKiernan says there is no such shortage in Rappahannock. “We have a core team of 40 well-trained, experienced poll workers and have recently added eight new workers,” she said. “I do not expect a shortage of workers either in the processing of absentee ballots or working the polls on Election Day. We’ve had a lot of interest from people who want to help out, but once they hear about the long hours and intense work involved, some shy away,” she said. Poll
workers normally earn $150 to work up to 15 hours or longer on Election Day. Those interested in helping at the polls may contact McKiernan at 540-675-5380.
Voting absentee: What’s required
A registered voter may vote absentee “in-person” or by mailing in their absentee ballot.
IN PERSON
➜ Starting Friday, Sept. 18, you may vote early “in-person” at the Voter Registration O ce, 262-A Gay St. Washington, VA, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (See McKiernan’s comments on previous page).
➜ Voters do not need to ll out an application or provide an excuse for voting early.
➜ A valid driver’s license or other identi cation is required. For a list of valid IDs, visit elections.virginia.gov under “casting a ballot,” or call the O ce at 540-675-5380.
BY MAIL
➜ Registered voters must complete and submit an application for an absentee-by-mail ballot no later than Oct. 23.
➜ Applications can be completed online at vote.elections.virginia.gov. A valid Virginia driver’s license or other ID issued by the DMV is required.
➜ Alternatively, the application can be downloaded, printed and mailed, or requested by phone from the county Voter Registration O ce.
➜ Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day.
➜ Ballots may also be handdelivered up until 7 p.m. on Election Day at the Voter Registration O ce or a er hours in the mail slot, or on Election Day in drop boxes at their polling place. Only the person casting the ballot may deliver it and it must be marked, sealed in Envelope B, signed, dated and placed in the provided prepaid postage return envelope exactly as if it were being mailed.