The county’s Democratic leadership is advising local voters to take no chances as the Nov. 3 general election draws closer.
“I am concerned about threats to voting,” Arlington County Democratic Committee chair Paul Ruiz said at the party’s monthly meeting on Sept. 2.
A congressional candidate with the backing of the Libertarian Party of Northern Virginia is challenging U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) on the November ballot.
Shelly Arnoldi understands the uphill battle for anyone taking on Beyer in a district that, in recent years, has been a Democratic political fortress. However, she says her effort to unseat him will bring important issues into the local political discussion.
A town hall on Arlington voters’ rights and responsibilities in the upcoming election is taking place next month.
A “voter safety community town hall,” hosted by Arlington’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and Office of Voter Registration and Elections, will happen on Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd).
The primaries earlier this month took place with a new Virginia law in effect: a wider radius around polling places where it’s illegal to carry a gun.
The expansion of the radius from 40 feet to 100 feet went smoothly in Arlington, election officials say.
The voting schedule for the Nov. 3 general election is set in Arlington.
Early voting will begin on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Ellen M. Bozman Government Center, and will continue through Oct. 31. Starting Saturday, Oct. 17, satellite voting will take place at the Walter Reed and Langston-Brown community centers.
County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti says he is providing steady leadership in uncertain times, while primary challengers say he has much to answer for.
Julie Farnam and James DeVita are attempting to unseat de Ferranti in the primary next Tuesday, Aug. 4. The winner becomes the odds-on favorite in the Nov. 3 general election against independents Audrey Clement and David Sisson.
Falls Church could consolidate all Election Day voting in a single location, if the General Assembly supports doing so next year.
The city currently is divided into three voting wards, with two voting in different parts of the Falls Church Community Center and the third at Oak Street Elementary School.
Arlington voters next year will be able to select up to 10 candidates in ranked-choice elections, more than triple the number currently available.
New ballot scanners set to arrive in Arlington before this year’s Aug. 4 state primary allow for ranking up to 10 contenders. But existing ballot markers, used to assist voters with disabilities, will not be replaced until next year.
A controversial proposal to build 47 townhouses in the Waverly Hills neighborhood is returning for discussion at an upcoming County Board meeting.
Last month, Board members deferred a vote on the project, which staff opposes but neighborhood organizations and county advisory commissions largely support. It’s one of several items up for consideration at the Board meeting on Saturday.
The first Republican contender in the redrawn 7th Congressional District made his pitch to Arlington Republicans this week.
Douglas Ollivant, a Culpeper County resident and managing partner of a strategic consulting firm, is for now the only announced candidate in the 7th District as approved by voters on April 21, although more could be on the way.
New county grants worth $80,000 seek to support renewed vibrancy in the Green Valley neighborhood — although leaders acknowledge the funding may not go very far.
The funds, which will be split among four organizations, will “jump-start some neighborhood activity that would bring neighbors together, create an environment of civic engagement and civic exchange,” Board member Takis Karantonis said.
Arlington has overwhelming voted yes for the statewide congressional redistricting amendment, which has now been approved by Virginia voters.
As of 10 p.m., with all Arlington County precincts reporting, the “yes” vote led by 80% to 20% for no. Statewide the race was much closer, with 51.3% for yes and 48.7% for no.
