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Polls are open in Virginia for a primary election that has the attention of political pundits nationwide, with some of the most closely watched races in Northern Virginia.
There are two competitive U.S. House primary races in the region, and one of those districts could help tip the scale one way or the other in the lower chamber come November. Voters will also decide nominees in local races for mayor, city council and board of supervisors positions.
Polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
To vote in-person on election day, Virginians must show up to their designated polling place. A list of polling places can be found online. Any voter who missed the May 28 deadline to register to vote can do same-day registration and cast a provisional ballot, which will be reviewed by a local electoral board before it’s counted.
Voters will need to bring a valid form of identification, such as a driver’s license, military ID or passport. A full list of acceptable identification is available online.
Curbside voting is available for those 65 and older, or who have a disability on Election Day.
What’s on the ballot?
The most notable of Tuesday’s contests are for the nominations in two U.S. House races.
In Virginia’s 7th Congressional District — which includes parts of Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania and Culpeper counties — Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger holds the seat, but is stepping away to run for governor next year.
That’s opened the door to a field of seven Democratic candidates. On the Republican side, there’s a field of six candidates.
According to Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the 7th District seat “leans Democratic,” meaning it’s no sure thing that Democrats will hold on to the seat.
Plenty of eyes are also on the state’s 10th Congressional District, which includes Loudoun County, Manassas and parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties. The seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who’s stepping down due to health issues.
Her announcement opened the floodgates, with 12 Democrats running to replace her. Four Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination, though Virginia’s 10th is considered heavily Democratic.
Republicans in Virginia will also pick their choice to take on Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in November. The Republican nominee will face a tall task in doing so, as Virginia has not elected a Republican U.S. Senator since 2002.
At the local level, voters in several jurisdictions will decide nominees for positions on city councils, boards of supervisors and for mayor. In Alexandria, Mayor Justin Wilson is not running for reelection. Arlington County voters will select nominees for the County Board.
WTOP’s Jessica Kronzer, Nick Iannelli and Mitchell Miller contributed to this report.
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