City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 4, 2024
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: ANGELA MANIGLIA TURNER, GENERAL REGISTRAR AND DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage of an Ordinance to Establish an Additional Satellite Early Voting Location For Primary Elections. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Currently for primary elections, early voting is only available at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 132 North Royal Street. Early voting begins 45 days prior to every general and primary election and is available at the office during regular business hours and a minimum of two Saturdays.
RECOMMENDATION: The Alexandria Electoral Board (the “Electoral Board”) recommends the addition of Beatley Library as a satellite early voting location for future primary elections. Additionally, the Electoral Board recommends the proposed ordinance mirror the current ordinance in directing the Electoral Board to determine the number of days the location is open based upon anticipated need and voter turnout for each primary election.
BACKGROUND: The Electoral Board a three-member bipartisan board appointed by the Alexandria Circuit Court for staggered three-year terms, is responsible for making recommendations to City Council concerning changes in election district boundaries, the establishment of new polling places and satellite voting locations. The Code of Virginia gives City Council the statutory authority to make these changes.
For the 2012 Presidential Election, Beatley Library was opened for the last 7 days of in-person absentee voting and over 30% of the total in person absentee voting occurred at Beatley during that time frame. In 2013, City Council voted to make permanent absentee voting at Beatley library prior to all November General Elections. Since 2012, early voting has been offered in the 7-9 days leading up to the early voting deadline. Turnout at Beatley Library during that timeframe accounts for 23-37% of all early votes cast.
In 2020, with the Virginia General Assembly’s passage of HB 1, any registered voter became permitted to vote by absentee ballot (in-person or by-mail) in any election in which they were qualified to vote. This bill removed the list of statutory reasons in which a person was entitled to vote prior to election day and is also known as “No excuse absentee” or “early voting”.
HISTORICAL TURNOUT: Since the implementation of “early voting” total early voting turnout, at the main office, for primary elections has been:
|
Election |
Contests on the Ballot |
Total early voting turnout |
Last 8 days early voting turnout |
Weekend Turnout |
|
June 18, 2024 Democratic Primary |
Mayor and City Council |
3,911 |
2,167 55.4% |
987 25.2% |
|
June 18, 2024 Republican Primary |
US Senate |
222 |
129 58.1% |
65 29.3% |
|
March 5, 2024 Democratic Primary |
President |
1,047 |
686 (65.5%) |
287 (27.4%) |
|
March 5, 2024 Republican Primary |
President |
819 |
593 (72.4%) |
260 (31.7%) |
|
June 21, 2022 Democratic Primary |
US House of Representatives |
1,943 |
1,074 (55.3%) |
441 (22.7%) |
|
June 8, 2021 Democratic Primary |
Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Mayor, City Council |
3,828 |
2,093 (54.7%) |
762 (19.9%) |
|
June 2020 Republican Primary |
US Senate |
83 |
51 (61.4%) |
9 (10.8%) |
TIMELINE: Prior to consideration of adding a satellite early voting location for primary elections, the proposed ordinance was published in a newspaper once a week for two successive weeks (§ 24.2-701.2). After the proposed ordinance is established in the City Ordinance (§ 24.2-701.2), it shall be provided to ELECT no later than 60 days before the election (1VAC20-70-60.)
FISCAL IMPACT: It would cost approximately $6,000 to $15,000 to staff the additional early voting location for each primary election with the cost depending on the size of the election and the number of days that the second absentee location is in operation. In addition, staff will need to evaluate if additional staff resources will be needed as a result of this action.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Ordinance Cover
2. Proposed Ordinance
STAFF:
Alethea Predeoux, Deputy City Manager
Rose T. Dawson, Director, Alexandria Library
Cheran Ivery, City Attorney
Morgan Routt, Director, Office of Management and Budget
Angie Maniglia Turner, General Registrar
Mark Hirschman, Elections Manager