UPDATE: The polls have closed in D.C. and Maryland. Anyone who was in line by 8 p.m. can still vote. Virginia's polls closed at 7 p.m.
Election Day has arrived in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, with races that will help determine the balance of power in the U.S. House, decide the legalization of marijuana in Maryland and potentially impact wages for workers in the District.
Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said the state has 6.1 million registered voters — a record high. It’s also the first year that voters have the option for same-day registration.
Some electronic poll books had issues, including Chesterfield, Suffolk and Richmond City, Beals said in an 11 a.m. briefing with reporters. Those localities used backup paper poll books they are legally required to have on-site, and no one was turned away, Beals said.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Maryland election officials said Bowie State, Ritchie Coliseum and Potomac High School in Oxon Hill were among the places that used contingency plans amid technical issues.
A Brentwood voting center also had trouble getting the system set up, so voters cast provisional ballots. Officials say those votes will be counted.
The Justice Department announced Monday that poll watchers would be deployed to 64 jurisdictions, including Prince George’s County in Maryland and Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County in Virginia, to monitor voting and ensure compliance with federal voting laws.
Prince William County voters who showed up to cast ballots before 7 a.m. told News4 why it’s important to them.
“This is the epitome of voting to me. Going on that day, making a difference. I don’t believe in early voting,” one man said. “I want to know I made an impact on that day.”
“I just want to make sure my voice is heard,” a woman said.
Thousands of people have already cast their ballots through mail-in and early voting: NBC News estimates early votes numbered more than 940,000 in Virginia and 760,000 in Maryland on the eve of Election Day.
Anyone with problems at the polls can contact the News4 I-Team Voter Patrol at 202-885-4444 or tips@news4iteam.com.
Washington, D.C. Election Day 2022: Key Races and Voting Info
Voting Info
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can cast their ballots at any voting center regardless of their residential address. Here's a list of voting centers.
Same-day voter registration is available at your polling place, the D.C. Board of Elections office or any voter registration agency. Here are more details, including acceptable proof of address documents.
All registered voters in D.C. should have received ballots in the mail. You can drop your completed ballot in any ballot drop box at any time up to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. Go here for a full list of drop box locations in D.C.
Go to the D.C. Board of Elections website for more voting information. D.C. residents can find sample ballots here.
Key Races
Mayor: Incumbent Mayor Muriel Bowser is aiming to win a third term, which would make her the District’s first mayor to win three terms since Marion Barry. Bowser’s opponents are independent Rodney Red Grant, a D.C. native, and Republican Stacia Hall, a small business owner.
Council At-Large: Eight candidates, including three sitting council members, are vying for two seats in a race that’s guaranteed to shake up the council. Sitting council members include at-large member Anita Bonds, the only Democrat running; at-large member Elissa Silverman, and Ward 5 council member Kenyan McDuffie, an independent who changed his party affiliation from Democratic after he was found ineligible to run for attorney general. The five others running are Giuseppe Niosi (Republican), David Schwartzman (D.C. Statehood Green Party), and independents Fred Hill, Karim Marshall and Graham McLaughlin.
Ward 3 Council: Council member Mary Cheh decided not to run for reelection after 15 years on the council. Democrat Matt Frumin won a crowded primary in June to face Republican David Krucoff and Libertarian Adrian Salsgiver.
Council Chair: Phil Mendelson, a Democrat who’s served as chairperson since 2012, is facing Republican Nate Derenge.
Initiative 82: Should tipped workers be paid the same minimum wage as all other workers, in addition to their gratuities? That question is at the heart of Initiative 82. Currently, D.C. employees at parking lots, restaurants and salons receive a base wage of $5.35. A “yes” vote on Initiative 82 is a vote to gradually increase that wage until it matches the regular minimum wage (currently $15.20 per hour).
Voters approved a similar initiative in 2018, but the D.C. Council overturned the measure. Here’s what both sides say about Initiative 82.
Maryland Election Day: Key Races and Voting Info
Voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana, and there are major potential firsts: Wes Moore could be the first African-American governor; his running mate, Aruna Miller, could be the first Asian-American person elected statewide, and Anthony Brown could become the state’s first Black Attorney General.
Voting Info
Voters must go to their assigned polling place on Nov. 8. All polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Go here to find your polling place.
You can register to vote on Election Day. Go to your assigned polling place, and bring a document that proves where you live, such as an MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or another government document with your name and new address. Here's more information.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or placed in a designated ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Nov. 8. Go here for a full list of drop box locations.
More information is available on the State Board of Elections website. Marylanders can find their sample ballots using the Voter Lookup tool.
Key Races
Governor: Gov. Larry Hogan was just the state’s second Republican governor in 50 years, and he can’t run again due to term limits. Democrat Wes Moore, an author endorsed by former President Barack Obama, wants to be elected as Maryland’s first African-American governor. Moore says his priorities would be education and the economy. Republican Dan Cox is a state delegate endorsed by former President Donald Trump who’s focused his campaign on crime, affordability and education.
U.S. House District 1: Andy Harris, the only Republican member of the U.S. House from Maryland, is running against Heather Mizeur, who was in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2007 to 2015. She lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to Anthony Brown in 2014. This district includes Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Bel Air.
U.S. House District 6: Rep. David Trone is seeking his third term. He is the owner of Total Wine & More and has sunk millions of his own personal wealth into this bid. He faces Republican challenger Neil Parrott, who has been a state delegate since 2011. He acknowledges President Joe Biden’s win and condemns the Jan. 6 attack. This is race is a compeitive rematch of 2020, when Trone won by nearly 20 points.
Question 4: This question on Maryland’s ballot will decide if recreational marijuana possession and use should be legal for adults aged 21 and up, beginning July 1, 2023. Legal sales and taxation would be up to the legislature.
Montgomery County Council: The council will expand from nine to 11 members. Four at-large seats are up for grabs on Election Day. Democratic candidates are incumbents Gabe Albornoz, Evan Glass, Will Jawando and newcomer Laurie-Anne Sayles; the Republicans are Chris Fiotes, Lenard Lieber and Dwight Patel.
Virginia Election Day: Key Races and Voting Info
National political commentators are looking at Virginia’s congressional races as a potential harbinger of the balance of power in the U.S. House. Will Democrats hold onto their seats in Virginia's most competitive races, or will Republicans flip seats?
Voting Info
Polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Go here to find your polling place.
Sample ballots can be found on the website for your county or city’s election authority (Here’s Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Loudoun County (including Purcellville, Leesburg and other towns), Manassas, Manassas Park, Prince William County). Stafford County suggests using Ballotpedia’s sample ballot lookup tool.
Bringing an accepted form photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.) may make it quicker to vote; however, you can also sign a statement affirming your identity. The acceptable voter ID list is available in multiple languages (Español, 한국인, Tiếng Việt).
Same-day voter registration is available at your polling place. Anyone who does same-day registration will initially cast a provisional ballot. Here's more information.
If you have a mail-in ballot, you can complete and return it to your local registrar's office by 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. If you're returning your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked on or before Nov. 8 and received by the registrar's office by noon on the third day after the election.
Key Races
The balance of power in the U.S. House is among the hottest topics for the midterms, and contests for U.S. House seats have been fierce, driven by debates over education and abortion.
House District 7: This newly drawn district that now encompasses much of Prince William County and extends through Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper and beyond. Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger is running for her third term. In 2020, she beat her Republican opponent, Nick Freitas, by just 8,000 votes. Republican Yesli Vega has been on the Prince William Board of Supervisors since 2018. She emphasized her experience in law enforcement during the campaign. If elected, Vega would become the first Hispanic person elected to Congress from Virginia.
House District 10: Democrat Rep. Jennifer Wexton is running for her third term against Republican Hung Cao, a Vietnamese refugee and retired Navy veteran. Wexton has said her opponent has extremist views due to his comments about those arrested in the Jan. 6 attacks, and criticized his views on abortion. Cao has said Wexton votes with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi too often and approves too much wasteful spending.
House District 2: Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria is in a battle for her third term against Republican Jennifer Kiggans. Both are Navy veterans. This is a race to watch closely since both candidates are strong, and redistricting has made Virginia’s second district friendlier to Republicans.
Loudoun County School Board: There are two seats open, representing Broad Run and Leesburg, and each race has three candidates. Loudoun Democrats and the Loudoun Education Association endorsed Nick Gothard for Broad Run and Erika Ogedegbe for Leesburg. The Loudoun County Republican Committee endorsed Tiffany Polifko in Broad Run and Michael Rivera in Leesburg. The independents are Lauren Shernoff, a part-time teacher, for Leesburg and incumbent Andrew Hoyler for Broad Run.
