Find out what district you live in, where to vote and what will be on your ballot
BTW readers are aware that we have been releasing interviews with the candidates in the upcoming Supervisor and School Board elections (find the link to these interviews HERE.) We feel that it is important for Stafford citizens to know as much about the candidates as possible before they head to the polls to select the individuals who will fill these important positions. But what if you don't know what district you live in? Do you know where you are supposed to vote? Have you registered? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you know BTW has your back.
What district do I live in?
This is actually a pretty common question, even for people who consider themselves aware of county issues. For a general sense of what district your home is in, check out this map below. (Click the image to head to the county's map page.)
The key is a bit tough to read but the voting districts are as follows:
Yellow: George Washington
Purple: Falmouth
Grey: Hartwood
Beige: Aquia
Bright Pink: Garrisonville
Light Green: Rock Hill
Light Pink: Griffiths-Widewater
If you can't tell from the map, never fear! To find out all sorts of specific information about not only what district you are in but your entire voting history (at least in Virginia), you need only visit the Virginia Department of Elections website. Click the link here or the image below and you will see a page that looks like this:
Enter the data into the fields and you will get a screen filled with more voting information than you ever realized existed. Scroll down to the "Districts" field to find out which candidates you should be researching. Below is an example of what my districts are:
Where do I vote?
You can find out where your polling place is on this same results screen. Again, here is what my information looks like:
You can also click HERE to find this information.
What will be on MY ballot?
The ballots for the different districts will typically vary. For example, both local boards stagger their election years, so this November my district Rock Hill will not be electing a new School Board representative or Supervisor. The Virginia Department of Elections has a page that will show you exactly what you can expect to find on your ballot. Go to the link HERE (or click on the image below)
Here's are the races that will be on my ballot:
What if I'm not registered? How do I register to vote?
If you have never registered to vote in Virginia, then none of the links above will yield any information for you. In order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election you MUST REGISTER TO VOTE BY OCTOBER 16TH. If you register after this date, you will not be able to vote in the election on November 7th.
You can register to vote at the Registrar's office in the Courthouse Government Center. The address is1300 Courthouse Rd Stafford, VA 22554 and you can call the office at 540-658-4000. OR, since you have clearly have internet access, you can register to vote online, just click the link HERE. If you commute out of the state, as many in Stafford do, then you are eligible to vote early. Contact the Registrar's office for more information on when early voting begins.