With Hurricane Sandy approaching, voting may be a concern for those who are planning to vote absentee prior to Election Day, which is Nov. 6.
"Safety is our paramount concern," said Merni Fitzgerald, director of Public Affairs for Fairfax County, in an e-mail to Patch.
"Fairfax County is monitoring the weather and preparing for Hurricane Sandy," she said. "We’re asking the community to prepare as well. One way to prepare is to think ahead to eliminate travel during the upcoming storm when roads will be wet and slippery.
"We are following the guidance of the State Board of Elections and also our own Fairfax County emergency and public safety officials," she noted. "If there are any changes to the operating status of the facilities serving as absentee voting locations, we will announce them."
Absentee voting was in full force on Saturday morning at the Dolley Madison Community Library in McLean. Fairfax County Police were directing traffic in front of the library. Simultaneously, Ann Romney and Cindy McCain campaigned for the Republican presidential ticket at McLean Central Park on Saturday morning, adding to the traffic congestion and limited parking on Ingleside Drive.
Fitzgerald pointed out that for persons eligible to do in-person absentee voting, there are options if the weather makes it unwise to try to travel to the seven satellite locations or the government center:
- People who were planning to vote Monday or Tuesday, the days when we could see the heaviest rainfall, could vote Saturday, as all locations are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- People could vote after the storm has moved through the area; they can vote by in-person absentee ballot until Nov. 3.
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For more on Hurricane Sandy, click on the news tab and then on our Hurricane Sandy special section. Also, follow Northern Virginia Patch Weather on Facebook.
