Prince William County to double absentee voting locations for presidential election
By Daniel Berti Times Staff Writer
Aug 5, 2020 Updated Aug 13, 2020
Prince William County will double its number of satellite early voting locations for the upcoming Nov. 3 election under a measure the board of supervisors approved Tuesday.
In past years, the county’s electoral board made absentee in-person voting available at only four locations throughout the county. This year, the electoral board recommended adding four additional sites due to expected higher turnout because of the presidential election and the need for social distancing.
Prince William County Director of Elections Michelle White told the board of supervisors at their last meeting the electoral board estimates an overall 90% voter turnout in this year's election, and that more than 140,000 absentee ballots will be cast in the contest.
A new Virginia law that took effect July 1 allows no-excuse absentee voting 45 days in advance of any election. Prior to this year, Virginians could only cast an early or absentee ballot if they met one of the state’s approved reasons for doing so.
No-excuse, in-person absentee voting will begin on Friday, Sept. 18, and will be available at these locations from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays until Saturday, Oct. 17:
Haymarket Gainesville Community Library, 14870 Lightner Road, Haymarket, VA 20169
Main Office of Elections, 9250 Lee Ave., Suite 1, Manassas, VA 20110
DMV Woodbridge Customer Service Center Elections Office, 2731 Caton Hill Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192
Starting Monday, Oct. 19, and continuing through Saturday, Oct. 31, the following additional five locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The hours will likewise be extended at the above three locations during the last two weeks before the election.
Piney Branch Elementary School, 8301 Linton Hall Road, Bristow
Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School, 13833 Dumfries Road, Manassas
Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building, 15941 Donald Curtis Drive, Woodbridge
James J. McCoart Administrative Building, 1 County Complex Court, Woodbridge
Dumfries Community Center, 17755 Main St., Dumfries
The county will spend an extra $100,020 to staff the extra polling sites and to purchase the necessary ballot scanners and voting equipment, according to a county staff report.
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