[Archived] November 8 Election Day Checklist for Alexandria Voters

For Immediate Release: November 4, 2016

On Tuesday, November 8, there will be a General Election for U.S. President and Vice President, U.S. House of Representatives and two Proposed Amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Here are six ways to prepare for Election Day.

1.Consider Absentee Voting

Don’t let a long commute, business trip, vacation, disability or illness put your right to vote at risk. Your absentee ballot will be counted after polls close on Election Day and included in the results reported that night.

The deadline to vote in-person absentee is Saturday, November 5, at 5 p.m. There will be two absentee locations open in Alexandria on Saturday:

• Voter Registration Office (132 North Royal St.), from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Beatley Public Library (5005 Duke St.), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  

2. Find Your Polling Place

On Election Day, you must vote at your designated polling place, so please confirm its location before you go, at https://vote.virginia.gov. You may also call the Voter Registration Office at 703.746.4050.

There is one temporary polling place change for this election -- voters who usually cast their ballots at the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center (3210 King St.) will vote in the auxiliary gym at TC Williams High School (3330 King St.). The entrance to the auxiliary gym is located directly across from Chinquapin Park Recreation Center.

3.Know What’s On Your Ballot

Review a sample ballot prior to Election Day to help you make an informed choice at the voting booth, alexandriava.gov/Elections.  In Alexandria, the November ballot includes:

• U.S. President and Vice President
• U.S. House of Representatives

• Two Proposed Amendments to the Virginia Constitution

4.   Make Sure You Bring a Valid Photo ID

Virginia voters must show photo identification when voting in person.  Examples of acceptable ID include a Virginia Driver’s License, U.S. Passport, Military ID, Employee photo-ID and Student photo-ID. You can review the complete list of acceptable identification at the Virginia Department of Elections web site.

• Voters who do not have acceptable ID may receive a free Voter Photo ID from Alexandria’s Voter Registration Office. The Office is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Voters who do not bring a photo ID when voting may still vote a provisional ballot and have until noon on Monday, November 14 to deliver a copy of their photo ID to the Voter Registration Office or appear in-person to apply for a free Voter Photo ID Card.
  
  

5. Don't Be Late

• If you are planning to vote late in the day or after work, please remember that you must be in line at your polling place by 7 p.m. or you won’t be able to vote.

• Traffic and parking around poll locations may be very busy especially during peak commute hours. If possible, avoid the lines and vote mid-day.
• DASH to the Polls using public transportation. Metro’s Trip Planer provides itineraries for trips on Metrorail, Metrobus, and DASH systems including fare information and travel times.
• Capital Bikeshare will offer free Single-Trip Fares on Election Day to provide another transportation option to get you to your voting location.

6.View the Unofficial Results

• After the polls close on Election Night, Alexandria election officials will begin posting unofficial results on the Virginia Department of Elections web site. These results will show the total number of votes cast for each candidate and question listed on the ballot.
• During the weeks following the election, state and local Electoral Boards will canvass the results and make them official

For more information, contact Anna Leider, General Registrar, at 703.746.4050 or anna.leider@alexandriava.gov.

                                                                                                                              # # #