Virginia voter guide: Fairfax Co. holds another special election to replace longtime state delegate
Voters in part of Fairfax County will soon head to the polls to fill an open seat in Virginia’s House of Delegates for District 17.
Early voting opens Saturday and the special election will be held Jan. 20 to find a replacement for Democratic Del. Mark Sickles.
It’s one of a series of special elections triggered by sporadic appointments to Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s cabinet, including an upcoming contest that will take place in another part of Fairfax County and Fairfax City.
The candidates on the ballot in District 17 are Democrat Garrett McGuire and Republican Chris Cardiff.
Cardiff previously worked as the chief operating officer at a data analytics company with a focus on political campaigns.
According to his LinkedIn, McGuire worked as a legislative assistant in the Virginia House of Delegates and served with several local nonprofits.
McGuire has been endorsed by the district’s outgoing representative.
After more than 20 years in the Virginia General Assembly, Sickles is leaving his seat behind to join Spanberger’s cabinet as the secretary of finance.
Following Sickles’ appointment, each party had about a week to nominate a candidate for the special election. McGuire won the Democratic nomination during a firehouse primary last month and Republicans selected McGuire as their nominee.
Outside of Sickles’ departure, a handful of sitting lawmakers are resigning from the Virginia General Assembly to join Spanberger’s administration.
The contest on Jan. 20 will be the second special election in Fairfax County this month.
Voters are also headed to the polls Jan. 13 to fill an open seat vacated by District 11 Del. David Bulova. That same day, voters in parts of Prince William and Stafford counties will elect a new delegate to replace Del. Candi Mundon King, who represents District 23.
Dates at a glance
- Early in-person voting: Jan. 10 through Jan. 17
- Deadline to register or update voter registration: Jan. 13
- Deadline to request mail-in or absentee ballot: Jan. 9
- Election Day: Jan. 20
Early voting
There will be two locations offering early voting from Jan. 10 through Jan. 17.
Early voting will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center:
- On weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
And ballots can be cast at the at the Franconia Governmental Center:
- On weekdays, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Check in with your local registrar’s office for more information on voting early.
Voting on Election Day
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting on Jan. 20.
There’s a tool on Fairfax County’s website to show you where to vote.
Curbside voting is available to people who are 65 or older, or those with disabilities.
Voters needs to bring a valid ID to the polls. If you happen to forget, you can sign an ID confirmation statement or vote with a provisional ballot.
To get your provisional ballot counted, you have until noon on Jan. 23 to bring a copy of your ID to the local electoral board or sign a confirmation statement.
A list of acceptable forms of ID is available online.
Vote by mail
Virginians don’t have much time left to request a mail-in ballot. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Jan. 9.
To be tallied, absentee ballots have to be postmarked on or before the special election, and received by Jan. 23.
Outside of mailing those absentee ballots, voters can also bring them to a drop-off location. Check in with your city or county elections office for information about drop boxes and their locations.