Fairfax County November 2020 Election: Deadlines, Candidates

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County is gearing up for the Nov. 3 general election, which will feature races for president, U.S. House and U.S. Senate, state constitutional amendments, county bond questions and the mayoral and Town Council races in the Town of Herndon. Amid the pandemic, some voters are choosing to vote absentee by mail or vote early at in-person locations.

Absentee voting by mail will begin on Sept. 18, but voters can request ballots now. Voters can submit an application online through the Virginia Department of Elections. Once requested, the ballot will arrive after Sept. 18. Fairfax County election officials recommend applying well before the Oct. 23 deadline. A Virginia driver’s license number and the last four digits of your Social Security number are needed to apply online.

Another option is printing and signing an absentee ballot application or obtain an application at county government centers and library branch locations. Printed applications can be scanned and emailed to absenteeballot@fairfaxcounty.gov, mailed to the Office of Elections, P.O. Box 10161, Fairfax, VA 22038, or faxed to the Office of Elections at 703-324-3725.

Voters should follow the instructions included with the ballot. If hand delivering the ballot, return it to the Office of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. If you are returning the ballot by-mail, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the registrar by noon on the third day after the election (Nov. 6). The in-person address for the Office of Elections is 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 323, Fairfax, 22035.

The Virginia General Assembly approved use of drop boxes for returning absentee ballots. Drop boxes will be available during hours when the Fairfax County Office of Elections is open and when other in-person early voting locations are open. Voters may also return a ballot to any precinct on Nov. 3 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In-person early voting begins on Sept. 18 at the Fairfax County Government Center, and other locations will be satellite locations on later dates. The last day to vote early will be 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Below is the schedule for in-person early voting. Click the link for each location to confirm hours.

Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 2/3

• Sept. 18-Oct. 13: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Oct. 14-Oct. 31: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Centreville Regional Library, Franconia Governmental Center, Herndon Fortnightly Library, Laurel Hills Golf Course, 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 Library, West Springfield Governmental Center

• Oct. 14-Oct. 31: Monday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Great Falls Library

• Oct. 14-Oct. 31: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Virginia also has new rules for voting that were approved by the General Assembly and signed by the governor. Voters no longer need an excuse for early voting 45 days before an election. Voters still have to show an acceptable form of identification to vote in person, but it no longer has to be a photo ID.

Voter registration is available online in Virginia. Voters can also register in person at the Fairfax County Office of Elections during weekday office hours. Paper applications can also be obtained online and other locations. The signed application can be returned to Fairfax County Office of Elections P.O. Box 10161 Fairfax, VA 22038-8061.

Here are important dates to remember for the Nov. 3 general election:

• Friday, Sept. 18 — Early voting begins. In-person early voting is available at the Office of Elections, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA.
• Tuesday, Oct. 13 — Last day to register to vote or update registration for the Nov. 3 election. The deadline is 5 p.m. in person and 11:59 p.m. online.
• Wednesday, Oct. 14 — Satellite early voting locations open across Fairfax County.
• Friday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. — Application deadline to request an absentee ballot be mailed.
• Saturday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. — Deadline to vote early in person.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. — Deadline to return completed ballot to registrar. If returning your ballot by-mail, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the registrar by noon on the third day after the election (Nov. 6).
• Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Below are the candidates on the ballot for Fairfax County voters. Sample ballots will become available at a later time in September.

President/Vice President

• Joseph R. Biden / Kamala D. Harris (Democrat)
• Donald J. Trump / Michael R. Pence (Republican)
• Jo Jorgensen / Jeremy F. "Spike" Cohen (Libertarian)
• Kanye West / Michelle Tidball (Independent)

Member, U.S. Senate

• Mark R. Warner (Democrat)
• Daniel M. Gade (Republican)

Member, U.S. House of Representatives

• 8th Congressional District
  • Donald S. Beyer Jr. (Democrat)
  • Jeff A. Jordan (Republican)
• 10th Congressional District
  • Jennifer T. Wexton (Democrat)
  • Aliscia N. Andrews (Republican)
• 11th Congressional District
  • Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly (Democrat)
  • Manga A. Anantatmula (Republican)

Town of Herndon only

• Mayor
  • Sheila A. Olem
  • Roland B. Taylor
• Member, Town Council (six seats)
  • Stevan M. Porter
  • Pradip Dhakal
  • Sean M. Regan
  • Naila Alam
  • Cesar A. del Aguila
  • Bessie E. Denton
  • Signe V. Friedrichs
  • Jasbinder Singh
  • Syed F. Iftikhar
  • Clark A. Hedrick

For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/upcoming.