Who’s on the ballot? Early voting set to begin in Lunenburg County

Published 8:00 am Friday, September 23, 2022

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Early voting for the November election will begin on Sept. 23 and this year in Lunenburg voters in the towns of Kenbridge and Victoria will be voting for Mayor and town council members.

WHO’S ON THE BALLOT?

In the Town of Kenbridge Wanda G. Morrison is seeking election for Mayor. Morrison currently serves as the town’s Vice Mayor. Current Mayor Ken Blackburn is not seeking reelection.

In Victoria Allen D. Smith is seeking reelection as Mayor.

In addition to electing Mayor’s voters in the town of Kenbridge and Victoria will choose council member to represent them

In Kenbridge the following individuals are seeking council seats: David Lee Haywood Sr., W.D. “Doug” Aubel, Alan J. Hershberger and Michael R Bender.

In Victoria the following individuals are seeking council seats: Johnnie W. Brame, James G. “Greg” Elam Jr., Christopher T. Garrett and Jeramiah D. Fix.

Early voting is limited to one location in each county. In Lunenburg, that means going to the registrar’s office, located at 160 Courthouse Square.

Starting on Sept. 23, citizens will be able to vote at the location from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This continues up until Nov. 4, general election.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING FOR EARLY VOTING?

To vote early, you will need to do a few things. First, you’ll need to provide your name and address. Second, you have to show an ID. Acceptable IDs include a driver’s license, DMV-issued ID card, employee ID card with a photo, US Military ID or government-issued ID card. You can also use a recent utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck containing your name and address.

If you haven’t registered to vote yet, there’s still time. The deadline to register and vote in this November’s election is Tuesday, Oct. 12.

That Oct. 12 deadline also goes for people who just moved. Regardless of where you moved from, be it out of state or just the county next door, you must get your registration updated by Oct. 12. You can do that at your local registrar’s office, which can be found by clicking here.

DOES LUNENBURG COUNTY HAVE ABSENTEE BALLOTS?

If you can’t make it over to vote early in person, there’s also an absentee option. You can request an absentee ballot from your local registrar, then fill it out and return it via mail or in-person drop-off.

A witness signature is required on all mail-in ballots cast in this year’s election. If a ballot is missing that signature or any other required information, the voter will be contacted by their local elections office and asked to correct it. The ballot must be corrected by noon on Monday, Nov. 14 in order to be counted.

WHERE DO I VOTE IN NOVEMBER?

If voters choose to go to the polls in November rather than early vote some voters will now go to a different precinct following redistricting.

District boundaries for federal, state and local offices are redrawn every 10 years following the census. The 2022 election is the first November general election for which the new districts resulting from the 2020 census will be in effect.

“Districts and polling locations have changed for some voters as part of the redistricting process following the 2020 Census,” Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said. “We encourage every voter to check their polling location on their voter notice.”

According to the Virginia Department of Elections voters will receive notices in the mail regarding their polling locations for the Nov. 8 general election beginning this week.

All registered Virginia voters will receive a notification containing their district information and polling location regardless of whether any changes were made.

Separate polling locations for town elections will not be listed because town elections have been moved from May to November and will be held Nov. 8.

Voters can also find their district and polling location information on the Virginia Department of Elections website (https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/Lookup/polling).