Voting in VA

[Anonymous]

For the Virginians reading - can I go absentee vote tomorrow (since there is no early vote) with the excuse of work, even though I technically won't be out of the house for 11 hrs on Tuesday? How will they know? Is that what people are doing to vote early? I can't vote in the morning on Tuesday and I don't ever get home before 6:30-6:45 pm -- so with poll closing at 7, I imagine the line will be like 3 hrs long, as I assume they let you vote if you arrive before 7.

[Anonymous]

Here is the list of reasons to vote in person absentee and the supporting information needed for each reason:

http://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/

[Anonymous]

Right - I am usually out of Arlington from 9 am to 7 pm -- so 10 hrs instead of 11. There is NO way I will go vote in the morning. Can I just pick that reason and stretch the times to make it work? Or go with "business outside the county"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right - I am usually out of Arlington from 9 am to 7 pm -- so 10 hrs instead of 11. There is NO way I will go vote in the morning. Can I just pick that reason and stretch the times to make it work? Or go with "business outside the county"?

No one is going to call your office. Just fill out the form and vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right - I am usually out of Arlington from 9 am to 7 pm -- so 10 hrs instead of 11. There is NO way I will go vote in the morning. Can I just pick that reason and stretch the times to make it work? Or go with "business outside the county"?

Why can't you leave the office a bit earlier? I am sure your boss will understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right - I am usually out of Arlington from 9 am to 7 pm -- so 10 hrs instead of 11. There is NO way I will go vote in the morning. Can I just pick that reason and stretch the times to make it work? Or go with "business outside the county"?

Why can't you leave the office a bit earlier? I am sure your boss will understand.

I don't have that kind of job. And no by no means will my boss understand.

[Anonymous]

Figure out a way to vote in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Figure out a way to vote in the morning.

I'm just not THAT interested. If it doesn't work out absentee or at 7 pm on Tuesday, I'd rather not vote than get myself to a polling place at the crack of dawn.

[Anonymous]

If you work outside of Arlington, you don't need to worry about the 11-hour thing, you qualify under "Business outside County/City of residence on Election Day." You only have to worry about the 11-hour thing if you work in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Figure out a way to vote in the morning.

I'm just not THAT interested. If it doesn't work out absentee or at 7 pm on Tuesday, I'd rather not vote than get myself to a polling place at the crack of dawn.

Aw, and you were SO CLOSE to that responsible citizen award.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you work outside of Arlington, you don't need to worry about the 11-hour thing, you qualify under "Business outside County/City of residence on Election Day." You only have to worry about the 11-hour thing if you work in Arlington.

Got it - perfect. Couldn't figure out how the 11 hr category different from the business outside the county category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Figure out a way to vote in the morning.

I'm just not THAT interested. If it doesn't work out absentee or at 7 pm on Tuesday, I'd rather not vote than get myself to a polling place at the crack of dawn.

Aw, and you were SO CLOSE to that responsible citizen award.

Ha - definitely not. I'd like to vote but I'm not going that far out of my way - the state won't be won/lost by 1 vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right - I am usually out of Arlington from 9 am to 7 pm -- so 10 hrs instead of 11. There is NO way I will go vote in the morning. Can I just pick that reason and stretch the times to make it work? Or go with "business outside the county"?

Why can't you leave the office a bit earlier? I am sure your boss will understand.

I don't have that kind of job. And no by no means will my boss understand.

This is exactly why we need to move elections to a Sunday. Or make early voting available in all 50 states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you work outside of Arlington, you don't need to worry about the 11-hour thing, you qualify under "Business outside County/City of residence on Election Day." You only have to worry about the 11-hour thing if you work in Arlington.

Got it - perfect. Couldn't figure out how the 11 hr category different from the business outside the county category.

OP, I also vote in Arlington and have always absentee voted due to working in the district and having little kids. After dropoff, work, and pickup, I can't fit in voting.

I have always used the business outside county and it's always been fine.

I don't know where you live in VA, but in Arlington, tomorrow is the last day to absentee vote in person: https://vote.arlingtonva.us/absentee/absentee-voting-eligibility/

Happy voting!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right - I am usually out of Arlington from 9 am to 7 pm -- so 10 hrs instead of 11. There is NO way I will go vote in the morning. Can I just pick that reason and stretch the times to make it work? Or go with "business outside the county"?

Why can't you leave the office a bit earlier? I am sure your boss will understand.

I don't have that kind of job. And no by no means will my boss understand.

This is exactly why we need to move elections to a Sunday. Or make early voting available in all 50 states.

+1

It was originally held on Tuesdays to accommodate the more agrarian lifestyle of landowners when the U.S. was founded. They'd go to church on Sunday, then have a full day Monday to travel to vote, then Tuesday was voting, then they'd travel home.

Definitely needs a re-think about the timing. Or make it a national holiday!