By Erika Kengni and Haley Stoltz
Voters in Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista will have tremendous choice when heading to the polls on Nov. 3. From statewide constitutional amendments to school boards, voters will decide the makeup of their government. If you are planning on voting in this year’s general election, the Rockbridge Report has put together this guide that gives you what you need to know.
How to Vote
To cast a regular ballot, Rockbridge area residents have until Oct. 23 to register to vote. Virginia does allow same-day voter registration, but those who choose to register after Oct. 23 will have to vote in-person using a provisional ballot, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. In Virginia, provisional ballots are reviewed separately from regular ballots to determine the eligibility of the vote cast.
In Virginia, all polls open at 6 a.m. on Nov. 3 and close at 7 p.m., with those in line at 7 p.m. still being able to cast a ballot. Voters can use the Virginia Department of Elections’ polling place lookup tool to find their exact polling location.
Early voting in Virginia runs from Sept. 18 through Oct. 31. Residents can contact their local registrar’s office for specific polling information.
The Buena Vista registrar’s office is located at 2039 Sycamore Avenue in Buena Vista. It is open for early voting on weekdays as well as Sunday, Oct. 25; Saturday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 31.
The Lexington registrar’s office is located at 300 Diamond Street. It will be open for early voting weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as Sunday, Oct. 18; Saturday, Oct. 24; Sunday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 31.
The Rockbridge County registrar’s office is located at 150 S. Main St. in Lexington. The office will be open for early voting on weekdays as well as Saturday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 31.
Those interested in voting by mail have until Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. to request an absentee ballot, according to the Rockbridge County registrar’s office. Absentee ballots may be returned in-person at the registrar’s office. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and delivered by noon on Nov. 6 .
State and regional races
All Virginia voters will be asked to make their choice for who to send to the US Senate. Democratic incumbent Mark Warner is running against Republican Bert Mizusawa. According to his website, Warner’s platform includes pressuring AI companies to pay for the extra pressure they put on the electrical grid and universal healthcare. Mizusawa meanwhile said he supports lowering taxes, investing in rural healthcare and fighting corruption.
Rockbridge area voters fall into Virginia’s 6th congressional district where Republican incumbent Ben Cline is running against Democrat Beth Macy. Cline has been representing the 6th district since 2018, according to Congressional records. On his website, Cline said he values issues such as holding government accountable and supporting the second amendment. Macy, meanwhile, said she is focused on protecting the social safety net and taxing billionaires.
Virginia ballot initiatives
Three potential constitutional amendments are on the ballot in Virginia. If approved by a majority of voters, the initiatives will become part of the Virginia state constitution.
Question 1 is an initiative that seeks to protect reproductive freedom. The full text of the question as it will appear on ballots is as follows:
“Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?”
If passed, the proposed amendment would enshrine the right to an abortion in the Virginia state constitution. The government would be allowed to pass laws restricting abortion access in the third trimester of pregnancy, but late-term abortions would still be legal if there is a threat to the health of the mother, or the fetus is unviable.
The second proposed constitutional amendment would protect marriage equality in Virginia. The full text of the question as it will appear on ballots is as follows:
“Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?”
Currently, there is a clause in the state constitution that prohibits same sex marriage. That rule has been unenforceable since the Supreme Court ruled to protect same sex marriage across the country in their 2015 decision in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges. Despite that ruling, according to Virginia Public Media, some fear that if the Supreme Court decides to overturn that ruling – like how they upended nationwide abortion rights after overturning Roe v. Wade – then that would leave same sex couples in Virginia in limbo.
If passed, question two would protect the right of any two people to marry in the commonwealth regardless of sex, gender or race.
The third proposed constitutional amendment would restore voting rights to all citizens with felony convictions as soon as they leave prison, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. It would also make it harder to take voting rights away from people deemed “mentally incompetent”. The full text of the question as it will appear on ballots is as follows:
“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended (i) to provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, (ii) to revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and (iii) to update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting?”
Currently, the only way for a person convicted of a felony in Virginia to get their voting rights restored is by an order of the governor.
Buena Vista races
Buena Vista residents will be asked to choose one member of the city council and one member of the school board, according to a sample ballot provided by the registrar. William Kerr is running unopposed for one vacant city council seat. Kerr is currently serving as an interim member of the council. If Kerr is elected, his term will conclude at the end of next year.
Michael Cartolaro is running unopposed for school board. If elected, his term will run through the end of next year.
The city of Buena Vista is also asking voters to approve a new one percent sales tax, according to a sample ballot provided by the registrar. This year, the General Assembly passed a budget which allows local governments to impose such a tax and use the money solely to build or improve local schools. If passed, Buena Vista’s new sales tax will end in 2046.
The text of Buena Vista proposed sales tax as it will appear on ballots is as follows:
“Should the City of Buena Vista be authorized to levy a general retail sales tax at a rate not to exceed one percent (1%) provided the revenue from the sales tax shall be used solely for capital projects for the construction, renovation, and or equipping of schools in the City of Buena Vista, to finance such projects and that the sales tax shall expire by June 17, 2046?”
Walkers Creek District races
Voters in the Walker’s Creek District, which includes residents of the town of Goshen, will choose a representative to fill a vacant seat on the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors. The seat has been empty since April, when it was revealed that former representative Jay Lewis forgot to take the oath of office, leaving him unqualified to serve, according to previous Rockbridge Report coverage.
J. Toria Brown, who according to her Facebook page is a local beef farmer, is running unopposed for the seat. If elected, Brown will serve until the end of 2029.
Goshen races
The Goshen mayor’s office is also up for grabs. Incumbent Thomas McCraw is running unopposed for the seat.
A variety of candidates are also running for three empty seats on the Town Council. Incumbents Derrick Ogden, Chris Robertson and Michael Hicks are on the ballot as well as newcomer Jeff Shaffer.
Glasgow races
Three seats on the Glasgow town council are up for reelection. Incumbents Brandall Branch, Natalie Harris and Marcie Hill are running for reelection while challenger Kris Springer hopes to unseat one to earn a place on the council.
Lexington races
After the death of former Lexington mayor Frank Friedman in July, the city is holding an election to fill the vacant seat. Interim mayor David Sigler is running against city council member Nicholas Betts, according to a sample ballot provided by the local registrar. Sigler is emphasizing continuing essential water and sewer infrastructure projects, acting as a supportive leader for city staff and supporting city schools. If elected, Betts plans to prioritize investing in public schools, expanding housing options, incentivizing local construction and addressing the growing deer population.
Whoever is elected to the mayor’s seat will serve in that position until the end of 2028.
Lexington voters will also be asked to fill three city council seats, although they will see a familiar face on the ballot. Sigler – who is running for mayor – is also on the ballot for city council alongside Amber Ansted and Meghan Ferguson. William Kirchner is also running for city council. Though Kirchner’s name will not appear on the ballot, he is currently mounting a write-in campaign.
Two Lexington school board seats are also up for grabs. Two candidates, Washington and Lee University business professor Justin Davis and local business owner LaTonya Ann Douglas, will be on the ballot.
Lexington is also trying to impose a new one percent sales tax to benefit local schools. If passed, the tax will end in 2032. The full text of the proposed initiative as it will appear on ballots is as follows:
“Should the City of Lexington be authorized to levy a general retail sales tax at a rate not to exceed one percent (1%) to provide revenue that can only be used for construction or major renovation of schools serving the City of Lexington and that the sales tax shall expire on June 30, 2032?”