Some Fairfax County and city voters will head to the polls this weekend to fill a vacancy in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Tomorrow (Saturday) marks the first day of early voting in the 11th House District, which includes Fairfax City, Oakton and Fair Oaks. The seat, formerly held by David Bulova, was vacated last month after he was accepted a job as secretary of natural and historic resources for the administration of Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.
An 11-day early voting period begins the process of seating Bulova’s successor, with a special election scheduled for Jan. 13.
Here’s what to know for the hastily-scheduled election.
Who is on the ballot?
The special election pits two familiar names against each other: one is the wife of the incumbent, while the other had previously challenged him for the seat.
Gretchen Bulova is the Democratic nominee for the seat after earning 47.7% of the vote in the party’s primary election last month.
Wife of David Bulova, she currently chairs both the Fairfax County 250th Commission and the county’s History Commission, and has been employed as the director of Historic Alexandria since 2019.
Local Republicans opted to renominate Adam Wise, a firearms instructor and self-defense teacher, after he campaigned for the seat last November. Wise ultimately lost to David Bulova by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, according to unofficial results.
Where can I vote?
Two locations will be open for in-person early voting: the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway) and the Jim Scott Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive) in Oakton. Anyone registered to vote in the 11th district can cast their ballot at either location.
Though both locations are open from Jan. 3-10, they will keep different hours.
The county government center will be open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the Jim Scott Community Center will be open on weekdays from 1-7 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Can I vote absentee?
Yes — but only if you act now.
Friday (Jan. 2) is the last day that eligible voters can request a mail-in ballot. Interested voters can request a ballot online via the Virginia Department of Elections’ website.
Ballots returned by mail must have a postmark date on or before the day of the election, and they must be received by the county’s Office of Elections by noon on the Friday following the election (Jan. 16, in this case). Ballots can also be dropped off in person at the elections office or in the drop boxes at early voting sites and election day precincts.
