To the Fairfax County Community,
Voting in Virginia and Fairfax County has begun and turnout since Friday has been high. As of early this afternoon, 4,649 voters have cast their ballots at the Fairfax County Government Center. This is extraordinary, however that also means lines have been long and will likely continue to be long. Social distancing requirements and personnel limitations have also added to the length of the line. That said, I want to commend our staff at the Office of Elections who have been doing great work keeping the line moving as efficiently and safely as possible.
My office has received a number of questions about voting and today, I hope to outline and answer as many questions as possible. Voting is a fundamental democratic right and I hope everyone who is able, casts a ballot. That said, before you vote, please be sure you are registered to vote. Even if you think you are, please double check. You have until October 13 to register and to update existing registration. Check your voter status here.
See below for the full September 23 edition of my newsletter. For the resources mentioned in past newsletters, visit my website. If you have a friend who would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can do so here. |
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In-Person Early Voting
- Currently, you can vote in-person at the Fairfax County Government Center. Voting hours are:
- Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm
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There will be no Saturday voting at this location again until October 17.
- Starting October 14, 14 additional early voting sites will open.
- Find the complete list of early voting location and hours online.
- If you are a Fairfax County resident, you can vote at any early voting location in the County. Be sure to double check the polling place hours before you vote.
- The last day to early vote is October 31.
- More on in-person early voting is here.
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A ballot drop-off box at the Fairfax County Government Center. Please note, drop-off boxes added to other polling places will look different, but this is what you can generally expect to find. |
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Mail-In Ballots and Ballot Drop Boxes
- You can apply for a mail ballot here. Election offices have begun sending ballots out.
- The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot online, by mail, by fax, or by email is October 23 at 5pm.
- Track the status of your absentee ballot applications and ballot here.
- Returning ballots:
- If returning via mail, be sure to allow as much time as possible to return your ballot.
- Mail-in ballots that are postmarked on Election Day will be accepted and counted. They must however, be received by the Office of Elections at 12 noon on the Friday immediately following the election.
- All ballots sent to voters by mail will have a prepaid return envelope. The Post Office will post mark pre-paid envelopes. Every envelope has an intelligent barcode printed on it which allows the Office of Elections to check when an envelope was placed in the postal system.
- If returning to a drop-off box, drop boxes will be available at every early voting location, but outside the voting room, only during the hours the polls are open. They will also be located at every precinct on Election Day from 6am-7pm.
- At the Fairfax County Government Center, the box is located in the lobby.
- There’s no need to wait in line, and a poll worker will attend each box at all times.
- If you have applied to vote by mail, you can still alternatively vote in-person.
- More information about mail ballots can be found here.
Election Day
- On Election Day, all precincts will be open from 6am-7pm.
- Again, you will be able to drop off mail-in ballots at drop-off boxes.
- Find out where you vote here.
Curbside Voting
- Curbside voting is available for those who are 65-years-old or older, or any person with a physical disability.
- A phone number is posted outside of all voting locations that you can call if you need to vote curbside.
- It is important to note that curbside voting does not put you at the front of the line.
- If you are voting at the Fairfax County Government Center, curbside voters are in a separate queue and handled in the order of the request. It can take some time to process each voter, so if you decide to vote at the Government Center, be prepared to wait.
Other Notes
- Anyone can vote early. The General Assembly this year implemented no-excuse absentee voting.
- If you vote absentee or early, your ballot will be counted and reported on election night.
- Since 2007, the County has had a system in place to preprocess absentee ballots so they can be tallied on Election Night.
- The Office of Elections is seeking to hire additional staff to process absentee ballots. You can apply here.
- You can also apply to be an Election Officer here.
- Please contact the Fairfax County Office of Elections for more information at 703-222-0776, TTY 711.
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ArtsFairfax
- ArtsFairfax invites Fairfax County creatives to a free interactive workshop series to take the next step in their professional careers.
- Attendees will learn the basics of forming a business, copyrights and trademarks, contract and negotiations, taxes, and navigating the grants process.
- The series runs through October 20, 2020.
- Participants must register for each session. Learn more and register here.
Stuff the Bus
- Fairfax County is hosting its twice a year Stuff the Bus food drive. COVID-19 has increased the need for food and this will help nonprofits meet the needs of residents.
- This Saturday, September 26, buses will be parked at 21 locations from 10am - 3pm.
- See the complete list of drop off locations and food donation needs here.
- For those unable to come in person, donations can be made to the virtual Stuff the Bus food drive by visiting Volunteer Fairfax’s Donation Page to connect with and donate to nonprofits serving our community.
Workhouse Arts Center - Nightmare Alley: Drive-Thru Terror
- This is Northern Virginia's first-ever haunted drive-thru, meaning visitors can experience all the thrills and scares of Halloween while staying safely socially-distanced in their cars.
- The event runs every weekend from October 2-31.
- Specific times and dates can be found here.
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Common Health Questions:
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People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. You might experience:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
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Continue to follow the health guidelines:
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if that isn't an option (especially when in public places)
- Cough and sneeze into your sleeve
- Don't touch your face
- Social distance
- What it means to social distance, self-isolate, and quarantine.
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The CDC recommends wearing non-medical masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is now required in Virginia.
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The New York Times (access to COVID-19 content is free) spoke with infectious disease experts, aerosol scientists, and microbiologists to find out if COVID-19 can land on your clothing, hair, shoes, and mail.
Resources:
- Fairfax County Health Department
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To view the number of cases in Fairfax County this page is updated at noon daily.
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Visit the County site on COVID-19, Health Department Website, and see their FAQs.
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To view multilingual health materials visit the County's Language Portal.
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Sign up for text message alerts: text FFXCOVID to 888777. Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
- Call the Health Department from 9am-7pm weekdays and 9:30am-5pm on weekends: 703-267-3511
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Email: [email protected]. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm.
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Inova has a helpful FAQ.
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We recognize that we are in very trying times, but I hope you see in these newsletters that positive change has occurred over the last several months.
As I often say, we are truly lucky to live in Fairfax County where we have the resources to overcome challenges and a community who rises to the occasion.
Jeffrey C. McKay
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