The final day of voting in Virginia’s primary elections is less than one week away. These include a Republican primary for U.S. Senate, and several races for the party nominees for House of Representatives and local offices. WMRA's Meredith McCool spoke to election officials in two counties and shared this primer on the primary.
McCOOL: Good morning. I’m meeting with Jackie.
I met Nelson County Director of Elections and General Registrar Jacquelynne Harris at her office in Lovingston, which she described as an old, gray church building that somewhat resembles a castle.
JACQUELYNNE HARRIS: Welcome to the castle of democracy.
Nelson County is in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, one of the few congressional districts that have dual primaries this year.
McCOOL: I walk into my polling place. What can I expect?
HARRIS: So when you come to the polling place and are checking in with the officers of election at the poll book table, generally you'll see some signage in advance of that that will alert you to the fact that there is a dual primary going on, meaning both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have selected to select their nominees through this process … and you'll come in and know that you have an option of either voting in a Democratic primary – I’m pointing to a sign that has that on it – or in a Republican primary.
Harris clarified that voters do not register by party in Virginia.
HARRIS: You have the right to vote in one or the other of these primaries. … So at that point, when they select, they can do that by indicating their party choice, and our interpretation of indicating is that they can point to one of the two. They don't necessarily need to say it out loud. … They need to say their name and address. We repeat the voter's name back to them, and then typically in most jurisdictions there'll be some sort of a slip or ticket that they'll get that will indicate … which ballot you're selecting, and then you go to a ballot officer who provides you that ballot.
Harris said that process does occasionally create voter confusion -- and frustration.
HARRIS: On the first day of early voting, we had a gentleman who was very upset about the concept of having to state in which party's primary he wanted to participate. … Didn't feel like he had enough information. Didn't feel that it was fair to have to state that. … I explained to him the laws of the commonwealth of Virginia. … Virginia does it in a very Virginia way, as we're known to do. We explained to him: this is the law in the commonwealth of Virginia. Yes, there are other protocols out there, and if this protocol really upsets you, then contact your legislator. Those are the individuals who have the capacity to make any sort of change you may want to see happen.
Here in Nelson County –
HARRIS: When you come to look at our ballots for this particular election, you will see that on the Democratic ballot, there's only one race, and that's for the 5th Congressional District – the member of the House of Representatives. And on the Republican ballot, there's the U.S. Senate, and the member of the House of Representatives for the 5th District. And that is because when you have only one individual who is running for an office, and even though a primary has been called for that election, if only one person enters effectively, which is the case of the incumbent on the Senate side for the Democrats, then they automatically are the nominee. There's no write-ins allowed in a primary.
On the other side of the Blue Ridge, Augusta County is in the 6th Congressional District. There, the ballot is already set for the congressional race in November, because there is only one Democrat and one Republican running for that seat in the House of Representatives.
MARCY REEDY: For Augusta County, it is a Republican primary for the Senate.
Marcy Reedy serves as secretary of the Augusta County electoral board.
REEDY: There will be various candidates who will be selected to then be on the Republican ticket in November,who will challenge the Democratic incumbent Senator Mark Warner in that election on November 3.
The 6th District exception is Harrisonburg, which is also holding a Democratic primary to pick two city council nominees.
No matter your polling place, there are new laws that took effect July 1.
HARRIS: One of which is about the carrying of a firearm that has expanded to a 100-foot radius from any entrance to a polling location. … And there are exemptions for law enforcement personnel and certain private property owners whose property fall within that 100 foot area.
Voters can use the Virginia Department of Elections’ Polling Place and Ballot Information Lookup tool to get current information about their voting options. There you can see your election day polling location; early voting dates, hours, and locations; ballot dropoff options for absentee voters; and who, or what is on your ballot for the current election.
REEDY: We encourage everyone to come out and vote … to spend a little time, look at platforms, read about them, so that they can come in and … are comfortable and familiar with what they're voting for through a sample ballot that's out on the table.
Early in-person voting continues through Saturday, August 1. Primary election day is Tuesday, August 4.
