Voter Satellite Office Proposed For Burke Centre Library

BURKE, VA — After Fairfax County's early voting sites drew substantial interest, another site could be added in Burke.

On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors set a public hearing for an ordinance to establish a voter satellite office for in-person early voting at Burke Centre Library, 5935 Fred Oaks Road in Burke. The public hearing was recommended for March 23 at 4 p.m.

In 2020, the Board of Supervisors set 14 satellite early voting locations, which was higher than the nine sites used in the 2016 election. Satellite early voting sites supplement absentee voting at the Fairfax County Government Center's Office of Elections. The 2020 satellite voting locations included Centreville Regional Library, Franconia Governmental Center, Great Falls Library, Herndon Fortnightly Library, Laurel Hill Golf Club, Mason Governmental Center, McLean Governmental Center, Mount Vernon Governmental Center, North County Governmental Center, Providence Community Center, Sully Governmental Center, Thomas Jefferson Library, Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library and West Springfield Governmental Center.

As noted in the proposal, Fairfax County's central absentee precinct accounted for 8 percent of votes in Virginia during the November 2020 election. About 33 percent of total Fairfax County ballots cast were done at in-person early voting sites. Officials expect the trend of in-person early voting to increase. No-excuse early voting legislation took effect in Virginia on July 1, 2020.

Approval of another voter satellite office would cost an estimated $35,000 over the amount budgeted in the current year's budget.