Some voters will cast ballots in a special election for the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County School Board today (Tuesday), while early voting for a statewide congressional redistricting amendment will begin later this week.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. throughout the Braddock District. The special election is only open to registered voters in the Braddock District, but district residents can also register and vote a provisional ballot on Election Day at their assigned polling place.
The candidates in the special election are Tom Dannan and Saundra Davis.
While the school board seats are officially nonpartisan, Democratic voters in the Braddock District endorsed Dannan, a local business owner and Terra Centre resident, at a Jan. 10 caucus to succeed Rachna Sizemore Heizer, who vacated the district’s Fairfax County School Board seat in December to serve as its new supervisor.
Davis is running as an independent candidate without a party endorsement but previously ran for office as a Republican. In addition to receiving the Fairfax County Republican Committee’s endorsement in 2023 for an at-large school board seat, Davis unsuccessfully challenged Del. Laura Jane Cohen (D-15) for her House of Delegates seat last year.
Redistricting constitutional amendment special election set for April
On Tuesday, April 21, all registered voters in Fairfax County and across Virginia can vote in a special election to decide the mid-decade congressional redistricting amendment. Early in-person voting for the April 21 special election will start Friday (March 6).
An accepted form of identification is required to vote in person.
Under the proposed map released by Virginia Democrats, Fairfax County would be split into five new districts — the 1st, 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th Congressional Districts. The county is currently covered by the 8th, 10th and 11th Congressional districts.
The ballot question reads:
“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”
Though the mid-decade redistricting proposal is facing multiple court challenges, local registrar offices are moving ahead with preparations for the referendum after a Lynchburg judge ruled today (Monday) that a lawsuit over its constitutionality won’t be decided until after the election.
The key dates for the April 21 special election are:
- Early in-person voting: Friday, March 6-Saturday, April 18
- Deadline to apply for a mail ballot: Friday, April 10
- Voter registration deadline: Tuesday, April 14
- Deadline to return mail ballot: Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in person, or postmarked by April 21 and received by election office by Friday, April 24 at noon
- Election Day: Tuesday, April 21, from 6 a.m.-7 p.m.
Voters can use the Virginia Department of Elections citizen portal to register, apply for a mail ballot and check their polling place. The Fairfax County Office of Elections also offers ways to register and submit a mail ballot application in person and by mail.
Three locations will be available for early voting from Friday, March 6 to Saturday, April 18:
- Fairfax County Government Center, Room 251 (12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA) (limited parking)
- Weekdays: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Saturdays: April 11 and 18, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Mount Vernon Governmental Center (2511 Parkers Ln, Alexandria, VA)
- North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston, VA)
- Weekdays: 1-7 p.m.
- Saturdays: April 11 and 18, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Additional early voting locations will open from Saturday, April 11 to Saturday, April 18:
- Burke Centre Library (5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke)
- Centreville Regional Library (14200 St. Germain Drive, Centreville)
- Franconia Governmental Center (6121 Franconia Rd, Alexandria)
- Great Falls Library (9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls)
- Jim Scott Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax)
- Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street, Herndon)
- Lorton Community Center (9520 Richmond Highway, Lorton)
- Mason Governmental Center (6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale) (limited parking due to construction)
- McLean Governmental Center (1437 Balls Hill Rd, McLean)
- Sully Governmental Center (4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly)
- Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church)
- Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church)
- West Springfield Governmental Center (6140 Rolling Road, Springfield
- Weekdays: 1-7 p.m.
- Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Primary election for Congressional offices delayed
The redistricting referendum will also prompt a later primary election this year. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) had signed state legislation to move the June 16 congressional primary elections to Aug. 4, giving candidates more time to file after the fate of the proposed redistricting map is decided.
The new primary date applies to all primaries to nominate candidates for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. The primary elections in Fairfax County will include Sen. Mark Warner (D)’s Senate seat and three to five U.S. House of Representatives seats. The redistricting referendum will decide which congressional seats Fairfax County will have on the ballot.
The new filing deadlines for House of Representatives offices are May 26 for candidates seeking a political party’s nomination and Aug. 4 for independent candidates. Filing deadlines for other races, including the Senate, will remain April 2 for party candidates and June 16 for independent candidates.
