New satellite voting centers are opening in Fairfax County in hopes of reducing wait times for voters.
Fairfax County voters hoping for shorter lines at the polls now have thirteen new sites to choose from. Registered voters can cast their ballot at any location.
Since early in-person voting began last month, long lines have stretched out of the Fairfax County Government Center.
The new sites already appear to have reduced wait times, said Fairfax County Elections Director Gary Scott.
“The line here stretches back more than 100 people. Yesterday at this time, it would’ve been about three times that much,” Scott said.
Most locations will be open weekdays between 1-7 p.m. and on Saturdays between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Here’s a list of the sites:
- Centreville Regional Library
- Franconia Governmental Center
- Herndon Fortnightly Library
- Laurel Hill Golf Course
- Mason Governmental Center
- McLean Governmental Center
- Mount Vernon Governmental Center
- North County Governmental Center
- Providence Community Center
- Sully Governmental Center
- Thomas Jefferson Library
- Tysons-Pimmit Library
- West Springfield Governmental Center
One location, at the Great Falls Library, will open on Saturdays beginning Oct. 17.
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The Fairfax County Government Center will continue to be open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Early in-person voting runs through Oct. 31.
Voters 65 and older or those with a disability can avoid standing in line by choosing the curbside voting option available at all locations.
There’s no need to sign up for curbside voting.
“They can just come up. We have reserved spots here and they will basically be voting from their car,” Scott said.
Voters with absentee ballots can also try avoiding lines by walking up to an official drop boxes to submit their ballot.
There is one drop box outside each voting room in Fairfax County.
There’s still time to request an absentee ballot online or via a paper application: The deadline to submit your application for an absentee ballot in Virginia is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23.
Absentee ballots can be returned by mail or dropped off at an early voting location or polling place on Election Day.
Regardless of how you vote, Scott says be prepared to wait in some sort of fashion.
“There is going to be some wait and delay both due to demand and to the restrictions that have been placed on us by COVID,” Scott said.
