In-person voting begins Friday as absentee ballot requests higher than 2016 election

By Alison Graham 540-981-3324 40 min ago

In-person voting opens Friday across Virginia as local registrars prepare for an influx of early and absentee voters.

Election offices in the Roanoke and New River Valleys already have seen increased numbers of absentee ballot requests and are expecting big turnouts for in-person voting beginning Friday.

What you need to know about voting in Virginia

Andrew Cochran, Roanoke’s general registrar, said his office has been preparing to accommodate in-person voters and is equipped with personal protective equipment to combat the spread of COVID-19. He said he’s expecting a big crowd for the first day of in-person voting. ... The office is also offering curbside voting, where drivers can push a button and an election officer will be notified to come outside.

{snip}

Voters may request an absentee ballot online at elections.virginia.gov or by contacting their local registrar. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23. Ballots must be returned by Election Day and received by the local elections office by noon Nov. 6. ... Ballots can also be returned in-person to the local registrars office or at the voter’s polling place on Election Day.

Staff writer Yann Ranaivo contributed to this report.