Virginia Presidential Primary: Low Turnout for Early Voting on Snowy Friday – What Voters Need to Know Before Super Tuesday

2024-01-20 21:12:23

Early voting began Friday in Virginia, for the Commonwealth’s presidential primary. But with the snow keeping some offices closed and some voters at home, turnout was low for the first day.

Weather may not be the only reason some of those voters are waiting to cast a Super Tuesday ballot.

From Stafford County to Arlington, most early voting locations were empty. In Stafford, by lunchtime, only two votes had been cast. In Arlington, just 17 people had voted.

“We’re calling it a snolow day, for the combination of slow and snow,” said Gretchen Reinemeyer, a voter registrar in Arlington.

Anna Hash, a Stafford County registrar, says some voters just aren’t tuned in yet to the fact that early voting for a March 5 primary is getting underway.

“Everybody is shocked when I say it’s starting already,” Hash said.

And if you look at the GOP ballots, you can see another reason voters are holding off. Two of the candidates listed, Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy, recently suspended their campaigns.

Some voters may be waiting to see if more candidates drop out.

“It’s possible the voters might be waiting to see — especialy waiting for New Hampshire[‘s primary] to see if anyone else might suspend their campaign,” Reinemeyer said. That way, they know “who will still be running before they cast their ballots here in Virginia.”

Even if more candidates drop out, all of those names will stay on the ballot through Super Tuesday when the primary takes place. But when a candidate gives Virginia a written, formal notification that they’ve ended their campaign, registrars will inform voters.

“If they go through all the motions and officially withdraw from the race, then we will put notification in every voting booth and every polling location,” Hash said.

The notices will also be enclosed with mail in ballots.

It’s also a dual primary, meaning there is also a Democratic party ballot that voters can choose.

Election workers will ask each voter which ballot they want to use to indicate their preferred Presidential candidate.

In Fairfax County, the three early voting locations that closed due to the snow on Friday will be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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