Absentee voting under way: Here’s what you need to know

Election Day, Nov. 3, is six weeks away, but absentee voting is already under way.

Since this is an “off-year,” without presidential candidates on the ballot, voter turnout will likely be low – so those who do vote can make a big difference.

The main event for Mason District residents is the race for supervisor, pitting Mollie Loeffler, a community activist who’s running as an independent, against the Democratic incumbent, Penny Gross, who’s been on the board for 19 years.

There will also be lots of other choices on the ballot: candidates for the Virginia legislature, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chair, the school board, sheriff, clerk of the court, and other offices, plus two bond measures, schools and public safety facilities.

If you want to vote Nov. 3, the deadline to register to vote is Oct. 13. You can download a registration form online and mail it in. If you’re not sure if you’re registered to vote, check your status online.

You can vote absentee if you meet one of 19 criteria listed on the absentee ballot, such as plans to be out of town on Election Day, working and commuting more than 11 hours, away at college, disability or illness, or active duty military.

To vote absentee by mail, you’ll need to apply for an absentee ballot. You can download one online or pick up an application at various county offices or libraries. Download the application form for an absentee ballot. email a completed ballot to the Fairfax County Office of Elections at [email protected], fax it to 703-324-3725, or send it by regular mail to the Office of Elections, Box 10161, Fairfax VA 22038.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Oct. 27, 5 p.m. Once you have applied, you should receive an absentee ballot within three working days. Absentee ballots must be received by the Office of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

To vote absentee in person, you can download an absentee ballot and bring it to a voting location. Be sure to bring a valid photo ID.

Here’s where you can vote absentee in person:

• Mason Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale – Monday-Friday 3:30-7 p.m. through Oct. 30 and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Oct. 31. [Other satellite voting locations throughout the county have the same schedule.]

• Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 2/3, 12000 Government Parkway, Fairfax – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Thursday 8 a.m.-7 p.m. through Oct. 9; Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 13-30; Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Oct. 31.

Residents of the Mason/Annandale area could find the following choices on the ballot, depending on where you live (* indicates incumbent; party affiliation indicates which party endorsed the candidate in cases where the position is considered nonpartisan):

Chair, Board of Supervisors – Sharon Bulova* (D), Arthur Purves (R), Glenda Parker (Independent Green)

Member, Board of Supervisors, Mason District – Penelope “Penny” Gross* (D), Mollie Loeffler (I).

Member, Board of Supervisors, Braddock District – Janet Oleszek (D), John Cook* (R), Carey Campbell (IG)

School board member, Mason District – Sandy Evans* (D)

School board member, Braddock District – Megan McLaughlin* (D), Katherine Pettigrew (IG)

School board member, at large (vote for up to three) – Robert “Bob” Copeland (R), Omar Fateh, Jeanette Hough (R), Manar Jean-Jacques (R), Peter Marchetti (IG), Ryan McElveen* (D), Ilryong Moon* (D), Burnette Scarboro, Theodore “Ted” Velkoff* (D)

Virginia Senate, 35th District – Richard “Dick” Saslaw* (D), Terry Modglin (IG)

Virginia Senate, 37th District – David Marsden* (D), David Bergman (R)

Virginia Senate, 34th District – Chap Petersen* (D)

House of Delegates, 38th District – Kaye Kory* (D), James Leslie (IG)

House of Delegates, 49th District – Alfonso Lopez* (D)

House of Delegates, 39th District – Vivian Watts* (D)

House of Delegates, 53rd District – Marcus Simon* (D)

Sheriff – Stacey Kincaid* (D), Bryan Wolf (R).

Clerk of the Court – Bettina Lawton (D), John T. Frey* (R), Marisa Wissar (IG)

Commonwealth’s Attorney – Raymond Morrogh*

Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District director (vote for up to three) – Scott Cameron (R), George Lamb* (D),  Gerald “Jerry” Peters Jr.* (D), Stephen Pushor (IG)

School bond – Should Fairfax County issue a $310 million bond for school construction, renovations, and improvements? Yes or no.

Public facilities bond – Should Fairfax County issue a $151 million bond for the construction and renovation of civil and criminal justice facilities, police stations, and fire and rescue stations? Yes or no.