WASHINGTON — It is still September, but for some voters in Virginia it is already Election Day.
Absentee voting in the state started at 8 a.m. Friday. Absentee voters can cast a ballot in-person or through the mail at their local elections office for the Nov. 8 election.
“Our expectation with our absentee turnout numbers should be somewhere around 100,000 votes,” said Fairfax County Registrar Cameron Sasnett. “That would be the combination of all the returned mail and in-person voting.”
In order to vote absentee, in person or by mail, Virginians must give one of the approved reasons. Some of them include being away at college, going on a vacation or business trip, their work day and commute combined total more than 11 hours, being an active-duty member of the military, or having a religious obligation.
Those who want an absentee ballot sent to them through the mail have until Nov. 1 to request one, and the deadline for in-person absentee voting is Nov. 5.
Absentee ballots must be in by 7 p.m. election night or they will not be counted.
In Fairfax County, voters are serious about casting their ballots.
“Voting isn’t just a right, it’s a duty and the sooner we can get it done the sooner we can do other things in our life,” said voter Morgan Jameson.
Debbie Gordon said she sees the importance of this presidential election.
“I feel like it’s my civic duty, plus I’m excited because it’s a historic election,” Gordon said.
“You want to make sure you do cast your vote, and you never know what’s going to happen between now and Election Day,” said Dan Press.
