Virginia Absentee Voting in Full Swing

CLARKE COUNTY, VA- Absentee voting is now underway in Virginia and local voting offices have been overwhelmed with voters.

"Since my husband retired, we're always out of town," says absentee voter, Sandra Armstrong. "It's very convenient for us while we're here to be able to vote," she adds.

Unlike some states, Virginia does not allow early voting. The only way to vote before November 6th is to cast an absentee ballot.

"Absentee voting means you'll be absent from the county or the city in which you're entitled to vote on Election Day," says Barbara Bosserman, Clarke County's Voting Registrar. "Early voting would be in other states, where you can just go in and vote for any reason. But, in Virginia you must be absent from the county and unable to go to the polls on Election Day," she adds.

There are 19 reasons that allow Virginians to vote absentee, ranging from out-of-area work commitments to having recently moved out of state.

"People do call and ask how they can absentee vote," says Bosserman. "Of course, we can mail the ballots out or they can come into the office and vote in person absentee." Although absentee voting has its own set of questions and concerns, local registrars say most of their calls have been about voter I.D. Cards.

"We have been receiving numerous calls from individuals who have received their voter registration card through the mail and their question is 'what do I do with this?'", Bosserman says. "Our response is if all the information is correct, it's a form of identification when you go to the polls. But, if there are any changes that need to be made, there's a form on the back of the card. You can make whatever changes you need and submit that to your registrar," she adds.

The last day to register to vote or to make address changes is October 15th. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail is October 30th.