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Del. Lopez introduces bills to limit immigration enforcement at polling places and schools

By Emily Leayman
Del. Alfonso Lopez 2025 campaign kickoff (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3) is proposing several pieces of legislation to place restrictions on federal immigration enforcement in Virginia, including at sensitive locations like schools and polling places.

One bill introduced by Lopez would prohibit federal immigration enforcement within 40 feet of polling places, as well as near local electoral board locations to certify or recount election results. Activities like loitering and handing political materials are already restricted within 40 feet of polling places, but immigration enforcement is not explicitly mentioned under current Virginia law.

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Falls Church elections officials push for school closures during presidential elections

By Scott McCaffrey
Early voting at the Madison Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (staff photo)

Falls Church election officials are once again planning to try to persuade school leaders to close one or more of the city’s schools during major future elections.

They’re particularly focused on Oak Street Elementary School, which serves as a polling place for one of the city’s three voting wards. (The Falls Church Community Center is the polling location for Wards 2 and 3.)

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Ranked-choice voting will be possible in Falls Church in 2027

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church's voting dropbox at City Hall (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Falls Church will be able to hold ranked-choice City Council elections as early as 2027, if current Council members want to make the switch.

The city is on track to acquire new voting equipment that would accommodate the ranked-choice format in time for the 2027 elections, city elections director David Bjerke told the Falls Church Electoral Board on Monday.

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Officials seek new early-voting site ahead of Madison Community Center renovations

By Scott McCaffrey
Early voting at the Madison Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (staff photo)

Renovations at a North Arlington community center have county election officials on the lookout for a new early-voting site in 2026.

Madison Community Center (3829 N. Stafford Street), which is closing in the spring for about a year of renovations, serves as a regular polling place on Election Day and one of two satellite centers open for early voting in the weeks leading up to elections.

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One Falls Church School Board seat too close to call while Arthur Agin wins City Council post

By Scott McCaffrey
Campaign signage for some of the winning Falls Church candidates (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Three incumbents and one newcomer on the Falls Church City Council ballot were elected yesterday (Tuesday), while the winner of the final seat on the School Board hangs in the balance.

Challenger Arthur Agin prevailed in the City Council race, as did incumbents Laura Downs, Marybeth Connelly and David Snyder. Agin will take the seat of Debora Schantz-Hiscott, who did not seek re-election, in January.

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DEVELOPING: Karantonis reelected to County Board as Democrats sweep local races

By ARLnow.com
Takis Karantonis greets voters outside Glebe Elementary School on Nov. 4, 2025 (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Takis Karantonis will get another term on the Arlington County Board.

The Democratic incumbent decisively defeated his divided competition in the County Board race, which was conducted via ranked choice voting.

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Local election officials address possible postal problems during early voting

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church's voting dropbox at City Hall (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Election offices in Arlington and Falls Church are on the lookout for any glitches with the U.S. Postal Service handling official election-related mail.

A relatively small number of ballots from the office of Falls Church registrar David Bjerke were mailed but had not yet reached residents who requested them, Bjerke reported at an Oct. 23 meeting of the Falls Church Electoral Board.

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Early voting started strong and has held steady, Arlington election officials say

By Scott McCaffrey
A voting dropbox in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington voters are casting ballots ahead of Election Day in numbers that could set a new high for years that don’t include the presidential race.

“We’re on track to see record early voting turnout in a non-presidential election,” county election director Gretchen Reinemeyer told ARLnow. “As of the end of Monday, there’s been a 48% increase over the same timeframe in 2021.”

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Candidates go one-on-one with Arlington voters in political ‘speed-dating’

By Scott McCaffrey
Del. Alfonso Lopez (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The political equivalent of speed dating drew candidates and voters to Walter Reed Community Center on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Contenders for local and legislative offices sat down with the electorate in small groups during the annual get-to-know-you session, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City.

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Future elections may require more precincts in Arlington, new early-voting sites

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington voter casts a ballot in the 2024 general election (staff photo by James Jarvis)

County election officials have concluded that Long Bridge Park won’t work as an early-voting site for the 2028 presidential election, and they’re working to identify alternatives.

The county government’s fitness and aquatics center at the park was used as one of three early-voting locations in 2024 but “ended up serving fewer voters than expected,” election officials said in a draft strategic plan currently out for public review.

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In the 1920s, Organized Women Voters became a force in Arlington’s political scene

By Scott McCaffrey
Organized Women Voters of Arlington 1954 (via Charlie Clark Center for Local History)

This reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Get upgraded email newsletters while supporting in-depth local journalism.

The League of Women Voters of Arlington was established by a coalition of 17 founding members in January 1944, and for more than 80 years has been a force in the county’s civic life.

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Precinct operations leader receives lifetime-achievement honor from Arlington Dems

By Scott McCaffrey
Carol Fontein (foreground) and community leaders react to a speaker (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

For her years-long effort leading precinct operations, Carol Fontein on has been inducted into the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s “Distinguished Democrat” ranks.

“All these lovely people are here because of you,” former party chair Kip Malinosky told Fontein during the celebration, held at the home of Treasurer Carla de la Pava.

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