Early voting begins in Virginia today for August 4 Congressional primaries

Tomorrow is Juneteenth and local government offices are closed in recognition of the federal holiday that marks enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas on June 19, 1865.

June 19 is also 45 days away from August 4 when voters in Virginia will select candidates to represent political parties on the general ballot election for the United States House of Representatives. This is when early voting would usually begin in Virginia.

Because of tomorrow’s holiday, the Virginia Department of Elections has an important note on their website that extends early voting by an extra day.

“If the local office is closed on June 19 for the Juneteenth state holiday, then the office shall be open for early voting on Thursday, June 18,” reads their page on upcoming elections.

Voting began at 8:30 a.m. this morning according to the websites of the Albemarle registrar, Charlottesville registrar, Fluvanna registrar, Greene registrar, Louisa registrar, and Nelson registrar.

Primary elections are usually held in June but were moved to August 4 this year in order to give time for a special election on Congressional redistricting to be held. While voters narrowly approved a temporary redrawing of the boundaries, a majority on the Virginia Supreme Court issued a ruling that invalidated the result.

That means that the elections will be held in districts created as a result of the bipartisan Virginia Redistricting Commission which itself failed to reach consensus in October 2021. The Virginia Supreme Court appointed two special masters to draw up the map that is in place until the next Census.

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