Sheri Malry recently called the Fairfax County Government Center and asked if the facility was offering curbside voting.
She has bad knees and a bad hip, and can’t comfortably walk long distances. But the stakes were too high for her to not vote on the redistricting referendum in person.
She was grateful when the staffer who answered the phone indicated the site had curbside voting available. Malry took advantage on Tuesday afternoon.
The curbside voting option is part of Fairfax County’s accessible voting initiative for community members who are 65 and older or who have disabilities. While the options are and have been available, county officials are hoping to make residents aware that they exist.
“What it all comes down to is that at the end of the day, there are options in place,” said Sean Stewart, communications division chief for Fairfax County’s Office of Elections. “We want to make sure folks can cast that ballot. We want to do everything we can to make it an easy, efficient, straightforward process, and part of that is just letting folks know.”
Virginia voters can request a mailed ballot to vote absentee, they can vote early or vote on Election Day. All polling locations are accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which Stewart said is a federal requirement.
Voting locations also have a magnifying device for voters with low vision and community members can ask for other accommodations based on individual circumstances. Ballot marking devices are available for use before a ballot goes into a scanner and they have a keypad with braille buttons and a screen reader with an audio headset, according to county documents.
Language assistance officers at polling sites help to address “specific community needs across the county,” Stewart said.
Curbside voting has been an option for years, Stewart said, and it has expanded.
When a driver parks in a designated curbside voting spot, they call a number that’s displayed. Two election officers in yellow vests check the voter in, “let you cast that ballot in private, walk it back inside in the privacy folder and cast it on your behalf. Never have to leave the car.”
Generally, about 2-3% of voters each day use the curbside option, Stewart said.
“It’s an extension of the process,” Stewart said. “It’s not something unique, it’s not something separate, it’s not something different, right? It’s just us making sure that the same requirements are in place and the same security procedures are in place, whether you’re in your car because you need to be or whether you’ve joined us inside the polling location.”
Over 2,000 election officers will be posted across the county Tuesday, Stewart said. They’re appointed by the Fairfax County elections office and approved by local parties. All officers are aware of accessible voting options, and there’s always a team of at least a couple in place to help with curbside voting.
Malry, meanwhile, called the overall process quick and convenient.
“Five minutes, they’re out, I’m voting, I’m on my way,” she said.
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