Arlington’s two main political parties are putting the finishing touches on their greet-the-voters strategies.
Democrats plan to staff all 54 county precincts from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and have had volunteers at early-voting locations since balloting began on Sept. 20.
With campaign-signs-in-medians season in full bloom across Arlington, one 2024 candidate for local office is standing out from the crowd. And doing so face-first.
Paul Weiss, a former public-school educator who is running as an independent for School Board, is the lone candidate for local office in Arlington this year whose face graces his campaign signs.
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Virginia election officials Friday that accuses the state of striking names from voter rolls in violation of federal election law.
Three of four candidates for two open Arlington School Board seats have come out forcefully in favor of an “away-for-the-day” policy for student phone use, with exceptions available in narrow instances.
“School should be phone-free,” Paul Weiss, a retired county educator, said at a Thursday (Oct. 10) candidate forum sponsored by the Arlington Parents for Education (APE) advocacy organizations.
Arlington’s Democrats and Republicans have squared off with diametrically opposing positions on the county’s package of bond referendums.
The Arlington County Democratic Committee earlier voted to support the five bonds on the Nov. 5 ballot, while the Arlington County Republican Committee more recently opted to oppose all five.
Arlington’s embrace of a more urban future was among the topics of discussion as local candidates recently competed in the political equivalent of speed-dating.
Hosted Oct. 6 by the League of Women Voters of Arlington & Alexandria City, the event gave voters the chance to spend 15 minutes at the table with each aspirant for County Board and School Board posts. When time was called, candidates stayed put and attendees rotated to the next table over the course of two hours.
Arlington’s GOP chair is crying foul over what he says are attacks on the party’s campaign signage.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t hear from Republican voters about stolen, damaged or vandalized Republican yard signs,” Arlington County Republican Committee chair Matthew Hurtt told ARLnow. He pegged assaults on signs in the hundreds.
Hoping for the best but being ready for the worst seems to be the focus of Falls Church officials when it comes to Election Day security measures.
“Is Falls Church likely to be a low-risk area? Sure,” city registrar David Bjerke told Electoral Board members on Oct. 1.
By BEN FINLEY Associated Press
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican challenger Hung Cao sparred over issues from illegal immigration to tariffs on foreign goods Wednesday in their only debate of the campaign.
Arlington Electoral Board members on Oct. 1 voted to keep Virginia’s attorney general in the loop related to allegations of non-citizen voting.
The panel in August had voted 3-0 to turn over relevant information both to Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) and Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (D). But shortly after that vote, Electoral Board secretary Kim Phillip asked to rescind the planned notification of Miyares.
On Election Day, Arlington officials plan to have several layers of security in place to ensure all ballots are correct and accounted for.
With early voting now underway, Director of Elections Gretchen Reinemeyer posted a video (below) last week outlining the steps the county takes to arrive at an accurate count of all votes.
It’s the political equivalent of speed dating – called “candi-dating” or “candidating” (take your pick) – and the League of Women Voters of Arlington & Alexandria City is hosting a chance for Arlington residents to get to know candidates for local office without the long-term commitment of a full-blown candidate forum.
The event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Walter Reed Community Center.
