Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Fairfax County Election Commission says electronic ballot scanning machines and other tools could make lines at the polls shorter.
Last November, some Fairfax County residents reported long lines and wait times of more than three hours to cast their vote at the polls; some abandoned voting all together. But some 50 recommendations from Fairfax County’s new election commission — many of them focused on technology that will speed up parts of the voting process — could solve the problem. How quickly changes are made, though, depends on how much room officials can find in this year's budget to implement new programs in time for the next presidential election. Electronic Polling Books Among the recommendations in a report delivered Tuesday to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors was using Electronic Polling Books (EPBs), which would streamline the check-in process for …
Monday, March 18, 2013
After studying voting wait times in Fairfax County in the 2012 presidential elections, a local election commission will release its finding on voting efficiency.
Those who endured hours-long lines at the polls in November will get some of the answers they've waited for Tuesday, as Fairfax County's bi-partisan commission on election efficiency presents its report to the Board of Supervisors. Chairman Sharon Bulova proposed forming the commission in December 2012, after some November voters reported low wait times of about a half-hour, but the last polls in the county closed at 10:30 p.m. — a wait of more than 3 hours for residents who got in line for the 7 p.m. poll cutoff. The commission is looking critically at the county’s election process, identifying efficiencies at polling places and other ways to streamline the process for voters on Election Day. State of Fairfax County's Economy Also on …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Virginia is still too close to call as precinct results roll in.
Update 10:04 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7 - With all Virginia precincts finally reporting, President Barack Obama received 1,868,191 votes from Virginia voters, according to final but unofficial data from the Virginia State Board of Elections. That's 50.57 percent of the vote. Gov. Mitt Romney received 1,767,692 votes, or 47.85 percent. The three third-party candidates on the ballot received a combined 1.42 percent of votes, and write-in candidates the remainder. The race was too close late Tuesday night, even hours after multiple national news outlets called the race nationally. ------------- Original post, Tuesday, Nov. 6 updated 2 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were re-elected Tuesday night, …
Polls open until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Voter turnout on Tuesday morning has been just as strong, if not stronger, than the morning turnout for the 2008 presidential election, said Russell Ugone, precinct chief at Saint Dunstans Episcopal Church in McLean. At 10 a.m., approximately 675 voters had cast ballots in that precinct, not counting 640 voters who had voted absentee, Ugone said. The precinct includes 2,750 registered voters. "This is a strong precinct. We usually get 80 percent participation or better. I think people just feel like it's their duty," Ugone said. Others McLean precincts also reported heavy morning numbers. At Langley High School, where voters in both the Chain Bridge and Langley precincts vote, Virginia state Sen. Barbara Favola helped pass out sample …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Reader asks fellow residents to vote for Fairfax County library bond on Nov. 6 ballot.
- OPINION
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
To the Editor: Fairfax is a passionate community. We are passionate about our local businesses: nothing can compete with the number of local cupcakeries, or series of weekly farmers markets where we pick up our most prized possessions. We are passionate about our sports: our local high school rivalries fill stadiums weekly, and who can forget our love for the Redskins and the Nationals? And we are passionate about our education: thanks to public support, we have both one of premier public school systems and one of the premier library systems at our disposal here in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. But are we committed? We have reached a crossroads in the timeline of Fairfax where passion can only bring us so far, and we …
Friday, October 26, 2012
As voters weigh $25 million in bonds for library renovations on Nov. 6 ballots, two residents say there is "payback to all residents when these libraries are renovated."
- OPINION
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Friday, October 26, 2012
To the Editor: There are a lot of choices we will make on November 6th, but there is one that will improve the quality of life for all Fairfax residents, and it is not subject to competing politicians or last minute veto. The authorization to issue $25 million of bonds to improve three public libraries and relocate one will result in changes that we can see, feel and enjoy. The John Marshall Community Library and Pohick and Tysons-Pimmitt Regional libraries will be renovated and brought up to current standards for modern libraries by upgrading building systems, computer access, and energy efficiency. In addition, quiet and group study areas will be added along with conference space. Improvements to building systems will save on energy …
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Candidates discussed the Middle East, defense and more.
With Election Day fast approaching, President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney faced off in the third and final Presidential Debate Monday night. The debate, hosted by Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focused mainly on foreign policy, including conflicts in the Middle East, the civil war in Syria and the Sept. 11, 2012, killings of four American officials in Libya. Romney congratulated Obama for successfully killing Osama bin Laden, but ultimately questioned his policies on the Middle East, charging that the unrest in Egypt and Libya had created a “rising tide of chaos.” He said America needed an expansive plan to handle the situation. “We can’t kill our way out of this mess,” Romney said. “We’re going to have to put in place a very …
Monday, October 22, 2012
Tell us: In last meeting before the Nov. 6 election, which presidential candidate performed best in Monday's debate?
President Barack Obama and Republican hopeful Mitt Romney met Monday night for their third and final debate this election season, this time coming to the same table to answer questions on national security, the war in Iraq and jobs overseas, among other topics. The candidates also sparred on military spending, with Romney making a case for an expanded Naval fleet in a plan to increase military spending. Obama, who says he's met with military leaders to develop a reduced budget for the country's armed forces, said Monday that Romney's hike is money "our military doesn't need," noting the country also has " fewer horses and bayonets." "We have these things called aircraft carriers and planes land on them. We have ships that go underwater, …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Presidential candidates met for a town-hall style debate at Hofstra University in New York.
President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney sparred Tuesday night over immigration, the economy, energy production and foreign policy during the second of three Presidential debates before Election Day. The debate, held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, went over the allotted 90-minutes and featured a number of sharp exchanges between the two candidates, who interrupted each other on more than one occasion. Virginia Voters React Delegate Scott Surovell (D-44th) was impressed with Obama’s performance Tuesday night, saying the president was “back” after his more restrained performance during the Denver debate two weeks ago. “Candy Crowley's instant fact checking of Mitt Romney on President Obama's Rose Garden …
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tell us: Did President Barack Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney perform better at Thursday's debate? Did the debate strengthen or hurt either campaign?
President Barack Obama and Republican hopeful Gov. Mitt Romney met Tuesday night for their second debate this election season, this time in a "town hall" format that allowed citizens to ask questions on foreign policy, oil and jobs, among other topics. The debate, at Hofstra University in New York, was crucial for both candidates, who are less than a month out from the Nov. 6 election. The candidates' running mates debated last week in Kentucky. Many experts said Vice President Joe Biden came out ahead of Republican candidate Paul Ryan in the meeting. Some said Obama needed to be more aggressive after a performance in the first debate experts dubbed "passive" and "safe." Romney supporters said he needed to maintain the momentum he gained …
Kathy Keith
8:50 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
I worked the polls. The lines waxed and waned throughout the day. One thing I observed was that people were not prepared for the amendments, etc. Many people stood in line with the sample ballots-but spent the time chatting with their friends. When it came time to vote they would turn and ask the poll workers what the wording on the amendments and bonds meant. (Poll workers are not allowed to … more ›