RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Voters are casting ballots for Virginia’s 11 congressional district seats, local races and initiatives in the 2022 midterms.
While polls are now open for Election Day, more than 930,000 Virginia voters have already cast a ballot, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Changes have been made to Virginia’s political map — shifting some voters into different congressional districts — laws and ballot-counting process. Here’s an overview of what to know for Election Day:
When polls open and close
In Virginia, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters in line by 7 p.m. are allowed to cast a ballot.
Didn’t register to vote? No problem
Virginians not registered to vote can use same-day voter registration for the first time. The law change allows people to register on Election Day but requires them to cast a provisional ballot so their voter eligibility can be verified before their ballot is counted.
What’s on the ballot?
All of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts are on the ballot this year. Redistricting left Virginia with new congressional districts, shifting some voters into ones they may not be familiar with.
While many are not seen as competitive, there are two races in Virginia getting attention for their potential roles in the battle for U.S. House control.
Some voters will cast ballots for local races, including in Hanover County and the city of Petersburg. Chesterfield and Henrico voters will see bond referendums to fund county projects on their ballots.
Key congressional races
In the 2nd District, Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) is going against Republican state Sen. Jen Kiggans (Virginia Beach) in one of the most competitive and closely-watched races in the country. The new district still gets most of voters from the city of Virginia Beach, but no longer includes the cities of Hampton, Newport News and Norfolk.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Republican Yesli Vega are running in the 7th Congressional District race. The district moved away from the Richmond suburbs and is now anchored in Prince William County.
The 10th District favors Democrats, according to an analysis from VPAP, but it’s still seen as one of Virginia’s most closely-watched elections this year. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) is being challenged by Republican Hung Cao in the race.
Local congressional races
Virginia’s 1st Congressional District gained parts of Henrico and Chesterfield counties, losing the city of Fredericksburg and Prince William County. The race pits Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) against Democrat Herb Jones and independent David Foster.
- 8News spoke with the candidates about the race. You can read more here.
The 4th District race is a rematch between Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) and Republican challenger Leon Benjamin, who lost in 2020. The city of Richmond still has the largest share of voters in the 4th Congressional District, but the new boundaries moved west to include Brunswick County.
- 8News spoke with the candidates about the race. You can read more here.
Virginia’s 5th Congressional District shifted toward central Virginia to include Goochland, Amelia and parts of Hanover County. Voters in the district will decide between Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) and Democrat Josh Throneburg.
- 8News spoke with the candidates about the race. You can read more here.
Local races & referendums
Not all ballots are the same. Some may only have one congressional race, like Richmond, while others could have local races and initiatives on them.
Petersburg voters will see candidates for City Council and School Board on their ballots and Hanover residents in the county’s Beaverdam District will vote for a new supervisor.
In Chesterfield, voters in the Midlothian District will pick a county supervisor to represent them on the Board of Supervisors. Chesterfield voters will also vote on a $540 million bond referendum that includes $375 million to the county’s public school system for several projects.
Henrico voters will be asked four questions on whether to authorize the county to issue more than $511 million in bonds to fund projects. If approved, the money would go towards renovating and rebuilding schools, parks and firehouses.
Take a deeper look at what’s on your ballot:
A few more notes…
Virginia does not require a photo ID to vote. Click here to check out the Virginia Department of Elections’ valid identification list.
Need to find your polling place? You can look it up here.
Stay with 8News for updates.
