Avoid the lines: vote absentee

By nearly everyone’s estimation, the lines to vote will be extremely long this year. While additional staff has been hired to cover the polls, the surge in the number of voters expected to show up on Election Day is still going to make for a long wait. I’ve heard predictions of 45 minutes to three hours.

Avoid the lines: vote absentee.

Virginia, unfortunately, does not have  “no-excuse” absentee voting. (The House P&E subcomittee, in its infinite wisdom, killed SB69, which would have provided this opportunity to Virginians. Wonder if, in hindsight, the committee members wished they had voted differently?) However, Virginia does provide 17 criteria under which you are able to vote absentee.

You can vote absentee in person, by going to your local registrar’s office, or by mail. The last day to request an application to vote absentee is Tuesday, October 28. The application – which is required to receive a ballot by mail – may be obtained from your local registrar’s office or by downloading the form from the SBE website (fillable pdf), completing it and mailing or delivering it to the local registrar. You will then be mailed a ballot to complete.

As I’m generally working the polls on Election Day, I have been voting absentee. Last year, I did the absentee in person thing and found it a quick and painless way to get my vote cast. The last opportunity to vote absentee in person is Saturday, November 1.

Avoid the lines: vote absentee.