Update at 10:3o p.m. — With all the votes counted, at least unofficially, the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in Arlington was “one for the record books.” Arlington’s election office reported a turnout of 45% of registered voters, compared to 27% in 2016. A total of 70,451 people voted, compared to the previous primary record of 44,694 in 2008.
One for the Record Books…
UNOFFICIAL ELECTION NUMBERS
Absentee Turnout: 5,734
Election Day Turnout: 64,717
Total Turnout: 70,451
Active Voters: 156,433
Turnout: 45%
Outstanding Provisionals: 202— Arlington Elections (@ArlingtonVotes) March 4, 2020
A plurality of voters in Arlington County cast ballots for Joe Biden. The results are as follows:
- Biden: 48.3%
- Warren: 20.0%
- Sanders: 18.8%
- Bloomberg: 9.5%
Earlier: Voting has been relatively smooth sailing in Arlington today, despite very high turnout for a single-party primary.
As of 1 p.m., about 27% of registered voters had cast ballots in today’s Democratic presidential primary, 24% at the polls and 2.5% absentee, according to Arlington election officials. That’s about the same as the overall Democratic primary turnout in 2016, which featured Hillary Clinton squaring off against Sen. Bernie Sanders.
As of 4 p.m. about 31% of registered voters had cast ballots and Arlington was on track for “historic Democratic presidential primary turnout,” according to the county’s elections office.
4pm turnout estimate is around 31%. Looks like historic Democratic Presidential Primary turnout in Arlington. This is our last report until results start coming in at 7pm. Stay tuned…..
— Arlington Elections (@ArlingtonVotes) March 3, 2020
(There is no Republican primary today, as President Trump is uncontested for the GOP nomination in Virginia.)
“Things have been running very smoothly,” said Gretchen Reinemeyer, Arlington County’s Director of Elections, adding that “we’ve had anecdotal evidence of many first-time voters.”
The only issue at the polls Reinemeyer was aware of was a brief power outage at Taylor Elementary School.
Virginia is one of 14 Super Tuesday states, voting in a hotly-contested Democratic presidential primary that currently features Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Like Arlington, Alexandria is also set to exceed its 2016 Democratic presidential primary turnout. As of noon, turnout in the City of Alexandria was just over 23% compared to 15% by that time in 2016.
Polls across Virginia close at 7 p.m. Anyone in line at that time, however, will be allowed to cast ballots.
Expect lengthening lines at precincts as voters head home from work, particularly in transit corridors, Reinemeyer said.
“That last hour between 6 and 7 will definitely be a busy hour for our Metro corridor precincts,” she cautioned. “We’re also monitoring the weather” for potential approaching storms.
Still, Reinemeyer said, “there’s still lots of time for voting left.”