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Virginia is for Voters

Virginia Department of Elections

Virginia is in for a massive vote by mail if Albemarle County is any indication.  Sandy Hausman spoke with the registrar there and reports that requests for paper ballots are up by nearly 2,000%.

In 2016, 567,000 people voted absentee.  This year, the tally of applications for ballots is already approaching that number, and seven weeks remain before the deadline to apply.  Here in Albemarle County, Registrar Jake Washburne says his team is scrambling to keep up.

“In 2016 we’d had about 700 requests for absentee ballots, but I think we’re probably going to be over 12,000 by the end of today.”

He figures many people are afraid of catching COVID at a crowded polling place, and a change in state law makes it possible for anyone to vote absentee.

“In the old days you had to put on your application form that you were going to be out of town that day, or that you were disabled or something like that,” he explains.

Washburne admits he’s concerned about getting paper ballots to voters in time, but volunteers have come forward to help stuff envelopes, so he’s confident the county will be ready to mail on  September 18th – the same day that early voting in person begins. 

Sandy Hausman is Radio IQ's Charlottesville Bureau Chief
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