Arlington voters have been turning out in slightly higher numbers in today’s Democratic primary, tracking with trends statewide.
As of 1:30 p.m., about 4% of registered voters had cast ballots, according to the Arlington Elections Office. That’s slightly more than at the same point last year, when 3.7% of the county had voted in the Democratic primary.
A total of 4,839 voters also cast ballots early in this year’s Democratic primary, compared to 4,242 last year.
No Republican primary took place in Arlington this year. Last year, 2,421 Arlington residents voted in that race.
Unlike last year, where five candidates were vying for a single open seat on the Arlington County Board, the only local race this year is that of current Board Chair Takis Karantonis, who is facing a challenge from returning candidate James DeVita.
Incumbent Del. Patrick Hope is also fielding two challengers: Ajoon Srikanth and Sean Epstein.
More heated races are taking place at the state level, where six candidates are competing for the office of lieutenant governor: Levar Stoney, Babur Lateef, Aaron Rouse, Victor Salgado, Ghazala Hashmi and Alexander Bastani.
Two candidates, Shannon Taylor and Jay Jones, are also vying to become attorney general.
Statewide, early voting has been up significantly this year. About 197,000 people voted early in this year’s Democratic primary, compared to 120,000 last year, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.
At the Central Library polling place in Virginia Square, Chief Election Officer Stephanie Sanders told ARLnow that this year’s turnout was about par for the course, with one notable exception. As of this morning, she hadn’t seen any Voice of America reporters.
Sanders, who has been a poll worker since 2007, said her location typically sees more members of the media, even during primaries.
“Maybe not as many as in November, but we usually see some,” she said.
The Trump administration announced plans earlier this month to slash the number of employees at Voice of America from over 1,000 to 81.
Alyssa Myers, deputy director at the Arlington Elections Office, said most precincts don’t usually see a major media presence during primaries.
Overall, Myers said the day has been going smoothly, although this is one of the only times in recent years when schools have been open while polling is taking place.
“It’s been going OK,” she said. “It’s an adjustment but it’s something we’re working out with the schools.”
Polls close at 7 p.m. today.
