Early voting for the Nov. 5 general election in Fairfax County kicks off today (Friday) at three polling locations.
Voters will not only be deciding between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump in the presidential race, but also choosing candidates for Congress and, for Herndon residents, the town’s mayor and six council members. Several bond referenda and a proposed amendment to Virginia’s constitution will also be on the ballot.
Early voting details
As of 8 a.m. today, voters can head to the polls at the Fairfax County Government Center, while the Mount Vernon and North County governmental centers are set to open this afternoon.
Here’s a complete rundown of the voting locations and their operating hours.
Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Room 251.
- Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturdays (Sept. 21, Oct. 19 and 26, Nov. 2): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 27: 1 to 5 p.m.
Mount Vernon Governmental Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria.
- Monday-Friday: 1 to 7 p.m.
- Saturdays (Sept. 21, Oct. 19 and 26, Nov. 2): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 27: 1 to 5 p.m.
North County Governmental Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston.
- Monday-Friday: 1 to 7 p.m.
- Saturdays (Sept. 21, Oct. 19 and 26, Nov. 2): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 27: 1 to 5 p.m.
Voters need to bring an acceptable form of identification, such as a driver’s license or bank statement with their name and address, or sign an ID Confirmation Statement. Curbside voting is also available for those with a disability and 65 years or older.
Starting Oct. 17, the total number of early voting sites will expand to 16 and remain open until Nov. 2.
The last presidential election in 2020 saw a record number of ballots cast in Fairfax County and a massive shift toward absentee voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led Virginia to implement several permanent measures to expand voting access.
In 2020, about a third of voters participated on Election Day, while the remainder voted early in person or by mail.
“We call them our cicada voters who come out every four years,” Fairfax County Director of Elections Eric Spicer told the Associated Press, adding that he expects this year’s presidential race to drive heavy turnout in the county.
10th Congressional District
Following the crowded June primaries, the race to replace incumbent Jennifer Wexton as Virginia’s 10th Congressional District representative has narrowed to two candidates: State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam (D-32) and Republican Mike Clancy.
Wexton announced last year that she wouldn’t seek a fourth term for health reasons. Subramanyam, who currently represents eastern Loudoun County and previously served as former president Barack Obama’s technology policy advisor on Capitol Hill, emerged from a field of 12 Democrats with 30.4% of the vote.
Del. Dan Helmer (D-10), who has represented Centreville, Clifton, and the Braddock area since 2020, was the closest Democratic contender, securing 26.6%.
Democratic candidates also included State Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-38), who represents McLean, Reston, and Great Falls, and former House of Delegates Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, who represented central Fairfax from Mantua to Burke for over a decade.
Filler-Corn had been considered a potential candidate for Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial race before opting to run for Congress instead of seeking reelection last year.
On the Republican side, Clancy, a tech executive and frequent commentator on Newsmax, won his primary comfortably with 64.2% of the vote.
Wexton was first elected to the Democratic-leaning district — which includes Loudoun, Fauquier, and Rappahannock counties, as well as western Prince William and Clifton in southern Fairfax County — in 2018. She formally endorsed Subramanyam as her successor in May.
Leading up to the June primaries, the race drew significant media attention due to the large sums of money raised by both parties.
As of June 30, 2024, Clancy raised $422,221, while Subramanyam had pulled in $1.3 million, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Helmer and Filler-Corn each surpassed the $1 million mark during the Democratic primary as well.
11th Congressional District
In the race for the 11th Congressional District, which includes most of Fairfax County, Rep. Gerry Connolly easily fended off a Democratic primary challenge from Ahsan Nasar, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and military lawyer, garnering 85% of the vote.
Seeking a ninth term in Congress, Connolly is set to face off against Republican challenger Michael Van Meter, a U.S. Navy veteran and former law enforcement officer, in the Nov. 5 general election.
Last year, Van Meter sought to represent the 33rd Senate District but lost to state Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy.
U.S. Senate
Republican Hung Cao has also mounted a challenge against incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine.
Chosen as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in her 2016 presidential bid, Kaine served as Virginia’s governor from 2006 to 2010 and was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2013.
Cao, a retired Navy Captain, ran against Wexton in the 2022 midterms, losing by nearly six percentage points.
Herndon races
In the race for Herndon’s next mayor, Councilmember Pradip Dhakal will face off against fellow Councilmember Keven LeBlanc in the upcoming November election.
Dhakal secured the Fairfax County Democratic Committee’s (FCDC) endorsement after winning a caucus with 345 votes, while LeBlanc received 261.
In the town council race, the FCDC endorsed incumbents Naila Alam and Cesar del Aguila, along with newcomers Soma Ramesh, Kelvin Garcia and Michael Lloyd for five of the six open seats.
Other candidates running for council include Vice Mayor Clark Hedrick, Stevan Porter, Alex Reyes and Tamim Chowdhury.
The FCDC’s endorsements have sparked criticism from some candidates, particularly LeBlanc — who is backed by outgoing Mayor Sheila Olem. He told FFXnow that he opposes the involvement of political parties in the town’s officially nonpartisan elections, alleging that the decision to hold a caucus was determined by just four votes at a March 26 general membership meeting.
Proposed constitutional amendment and bond referenda
Voters will also decide whether to amend the Virginia Constitution to extend a real property tax exemption to the surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty.
Fairfax County voters will see two bond proposals on the ballot.
- Transportation: Up to $180 million to help fund Metro improvements, including new transit facilities and equipment
- Public safety: Up to $126 million to build and renovate police and fire stations, training centers, and justice facilities
