Half of Henrico voters expected to vote absentee in November

Henrico County officials are expecting half of the votes cast in this November’s elections to be submitted through absentee balloting, as the result of a new state law.

The county anticipates an 85% voter turnout in November, Henrico Registrar Mark Coakley told the county’s Board of Supervisors during a work session Tuesday – a total that would amount to nearly 195,000 voters.

Of those, Coakley expects about 58,500 to vote absentee by mail and about 39,000 to vote absentee in person. The Virginia General Assembly this year passed legislation making it legal for any voter to vote absentee for any reason.

Voters who want to cast their absentee ballots by mail must complete and return an application to the registrar’s office, but those who want to vote in person are not required to apply, Coakley said.

In-person absentee voting is available at the registrar’s office at the county’s western government center on Parham Road and also at the eastern government center on Nine Mile Road beginning 45 days prior to the Nov. 3 elections. In-person absentee voters must provide their names and an acceptable form of identification.

The registrar’s office will begin mailing absentee ballots Sept. 18 to those who have requested them by that date, Coakley said; other voters may continue to request such ballots until 11 days prior to the election. Henrico has received about 5,000 applications for mailed absentee ballots to date, he said. To apply to vote absentee by mail, visit https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/Lookup/absentee.

Curbside voting on Election Day also is available to any voter who chooses it, Coakley said. Voters who elect that form will be greeted while in their cars by poll workers and must present a form of paper ID in order to receive a ballot, he said.

Coakley assured supervisors Tuesday that his office will have a sufficient number of poll workers to handle all curbside voting requests.

Henrico officials will be conducting public service announcements to provide details about the various voting options beginning 90 days from Election Day, with messaging also planned 60 days out, 30 days out and the week of the election.

For details about how to vote absentee, visit https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/index.html.