Manassas Election 2020: Candidates Make Final Pitches To Voters

MANASSAS, VA — On the final day of in-person absentee voting, the city of Manassas was filled with energy Saturday as candidates organized door-to-door canvassing, campaign rallies and meet-and-greets.

The weather cooperated, offering sunny weather as Manassas residents waited in line to cast their ballots at the voter registrar's office on Center Street in downtown. Candidates and campaign volunteers made their final pitches at the early voting station before candidates head out to the city's voting precincts on Election Day to campaign for votes.

During the busiest times Saturday, about a dozen people or more waited in line to vote outside the registrar's office in Manassas. By noon Saturday, elections officials told Patch that about 7,000 people had voted in person since the start of in-person voting on Sept. 18 and that about 4,000 ballots had been received by mail or drop box.

With 11,000 votes already cast as of midday Saturday, the total Manassas vote is expected to easily surpass the 2016 total when more than 15,000 Manassas residents voted in the presidential election and town council races. Manassas has about 24,000 registered voters.

Manassas resident Jordan Haran said he took advantage of the voter registrar's office holding in-person absentee voting on a Saturday so that he would not have to take time off from work on Tuesday to vote.

"I work from 7 a.m. to sometimes 7 p.m. on weekdays, so I am actually really glad they allowed voting on a Saturday," Haran said. "I just moved to Manassas recently, and I'm happy to be able to vote for the next mayor and city council."

Candidates for mayor and town council were greeting voters as they went to wait in line to vote at the registrar's office.

For mayor, Democratic nominee E. Michelle Davis-Younger is running against Republican nominee Theresa Coates Ellis to succeed Harry Parrish (R), the current mayor who decided not to seek re-election after holding the office for 12 years.

Ellis was doing socially distanced campaigning outside the registrar's office, encouraging residents to cast their ballot for her. Ellis, who like Davis-Younger, currently serves as a Manassas city council member, expressed confidence in her chances of winning on Tuesday.

"We have a strong base coming out. A lot of different supporters," Ellis told Patch. "Strong swing support. We focused on our base as well as the whole community."

Even with the coronavirus crisis, Ellis said she "knocked on every door" in Manassas, leaving literature on doorsteps or speaking with people through their screen doors due to concerns about the coronavirus. Perhaps owing to the isolation of the coronavirus crisis, many residents were eager to speak with Ellis at length about issues facing the city, she said.

Elsewhere in the Manassas area, volunteers with CASA in Action, an organization that fights for immigrant rights in the Washington, D.C., area, and the campaign of Qasim Rashid, who is running against incumbent Rep. Robert Wittman (R) to represent the 1st Congressional District, gathered at West Gate Elementary School on Urbanna Road before heading out to do door-to-door canvassing.

Their goal was to get the word out about Rashid through campaign literature drops or speaking with residents. The 1st Congressional District covers parts of Prince William County just outside Manassas city limits, while Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-10th District) represents the city of Manassas.

One of the volunteers for Rashid, Tyler Begley of Burke, said Saturday was the first time he had done door-to-door canvassing this election season. By going door-to-door, it allows for conversations, even if those are happening through doors due to the coronavirus, he said.

"It just takes someone to start a conversation. That's where canvassing plays a huge role by saying, 'Hey, let's have a conversation,'" he said. "That's what I hope to do here today is have a conversation with folks who are on the fence or don't know Qasim Rashid or have only heard misleading information from Rob Wittman."

Later Saturday afternoon, Rashid, Wexton and the Democrats running for mayor and city council gathered in a parking lot just off Liberia Avenue for a campaign rally. Also speaking at the rally were former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

"Remember when you're going out and telling people to vote, remind them that it's not just about the top of the ticket," Wexton said at the rally. "It's not just about the U.S. Senate. It's not just about the United States House of Representatives. It's also city councils and mayors."

"Right here in Manassas, we have some great upgrades that we have to make, starting with Michelle Davis-Younger for mayor," Wexton said.

With in-person absentee voting in Virginia over as of Saturday, residents can vote on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., or turn in their ballots by mail or drop box.

For absentee ballots returned by mail, they must be postmarked by Nov. 3. Alternatives to returning an absentee ballot by mail are taking it to 9025 Center St., Manassas during voting hours, or the 24/7 secure ballot drop box outside the registrar's office at 9025 Center St., Manassas.