Where, when and how to vote in Fairfax County

Early voting: now through Oct. 31

Any Fairfax County voter can vote early at any of the county's 16 early-voting sites. Three have been open since Friday, Sept. 18: the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway (Room 251), from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, and the Mount Vernon and North County governmental centers, from 1 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. All three are also open from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, Oct. 18 and 25, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31.

Thirteen more sites open Thursday, Oct. 22: Burke Centre Library, Centreville Regional Library, Franconia Governmental Center, Great Falls Library, Herndon Fortnightly Library, Jim Scott Community Center, Lorton Community Center, Mason Governmental Center, McLean Governmental Center, Sully Governmental Center, Thomas Jefferson Library, Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library and West Springfield Governmental Center. They're open from 1 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. Early voting ends at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.

Franconia Governmental Center has moved to a new building at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd. Parking may be limited at the Government Center, and it's very limited at Mason Governmental Center because of construction.

The Office of Elections posts early-voting wait times on its website.

Missed the Oct. 23 registration deadline? You can still register and vote on a provisional ballot: at an early-voting site from Saturday, Oct. 24, or on Election Day at the polling place for the precinct where you live.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3

On Election Day you must vote at the polling place for your precinct, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. can still vote. Enter your address in the guide above to find yours, or look it up in the state's Citizen Portal.

The Holmes precinct now votes at Bailey's Elementary School, 6111 Knollwood Drive, which it shares with Tripps precinct. Check your polling place even if you've voted recently.

Many county addresses say Alexandria, Falls Church or Fairfax, and the guide goes by where you live, not your mailing address. The City of Fairfax and the City of Falls Church run their own elections, and this guide doesn't cover them.

On the ballot: U.S. Senate; U.S. House, in the 8th, 10th or 11th District, depending on where you live; three proposed amendments to the state constitution; and two county bond questions, $180 million for parks and $75 million for community health and human services facilities. Herndon residents also elect town officers.

Voting by mail

Any registered voter can vote by mail; no excuse is needed. Your application must reach the elections office by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Apply online.

A mailed ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3, and arrive by noon Friday, Nov. 6. You can also drop it off: in the county's one 24-hour drop box, outside the Fairfax County Government Center, until 7 p.m. on Election Day; at any early-voting site during its voting hours; at the Office of Elections, Suite 323 of the Government Center, during office hours; or at any Fairfax County polling place on Election Day, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If something is missing from your ballot envelope, the elections office will contact you, and you have until noon Friday, Nov. 6, to fix it. Ballots that arrive by Friday, Oct. 30, get that chance. More from the Office of Elections.

What to bring

Virginia asks every voter who votes in person for one form of ID. These are accepted:

• Virginia driver's license or DMV ID card, current or expired
• U.S. passport or passport card
• U.S. military ID
• Any other ID card issued by the federal government, Virginia or a Virginia locality
• Voter ID card from the Department of Elections, or other voter confirmation documents
• Student ID from a Virginia high school, college or university
• Photo student ID from a college or university elsewhere in the U.S.
• Photo ID from your employer
• Tribal ID from one of the 11 tribes Virginia recognizes
• A utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document with your name and address, no more than 12 months old

No ID? You can sign an ID Confirmation Statement, swearing you are who you say you are, and vote a regular ballot. If you don't sign it, you'll vote a provisional ballot and must get a copy of your ID to the electoral board by noon Friday, Nov. 6.

If you registered by mail without providing ID and this is your first time voting in a federal election, you must show ID; the statement doesn't count.

Getting there

Where a Metrorail, Metrobus or Fairfax Connector stop is within a quarter-mile of a site, the guide names it and the routes that serve it, and the directions links open your maps app with transit directions.

Accessibility

Every polling place is wheelchair accessible and has an ExpressVote ballot-marking device with an audio headset, and a magnifier. Voters 65 or older or with a disability can vote from their car at any early-voting site or polling place: look for the "Curbside Voting" sign near the accessible parking and call the number on it. Anyone 18 or older can help you mark your ballot, or you can ask an election officer. Report accessibility problems to the Office of Elections at 703-324-7735 (TTY 711).

About this guide

Early-voting sites, the drop box, polling places and precincts come from the Fairfax County Office of Elections and the Virginia Department of Elections; site locations and Supervisor districts from Fairfax County's GIS office; Congressional and General Assembly districts and map geography from the U.S. Census Bureau; stops and routes from WMATA's and Fairfax Connector's published timetables. The Washington Clarion is not affiliated with the Office of Elections. Confirm details at fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.