ARLINGTON COUNTY, Virginia — Early voting rates in the suburbs near Washington, D.C., reflect similar trends in battleground states.
In Northern Virginia suburbs near the nation’s capital, more than 50% of registered voters have already hit the polls, far exceeding turnout for the last three election cycles.
The only election that may have come close is Barack Obama’s win in 2008, which saw a higher-than-usual number of absentee ballots cast. But even that outcome can’t compare to the level of public interest being shown ahead of Nov. 3, says Wes MacAdam, Arlington County’s assistant registrar.
“This is an overwhelming turnout,” MacAdam said. “This is way above what we had in 2008. It is incredible.”
The electoral outcome between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden is in little doubt in this strongly Democratic area, brimming with federal government employees and professional class workers who have moved decisively in the party’s direction in recent years.
In 2016, Arlington County gave about 92,000 votes to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, while Trump won only a bit over 20,000. Clinton won Virginia by about 5 points.
In swing states, early voter data is being scrutinized for hints about whether the record numbers bode well for Trump or Biden, the former two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator.
Tom Bonier, CEO of TargetSmart, a Democratic firm, noted several trends that could work in Biden’s favor.
“As of this morning, white college-educated seniors (a group that has trended towards Biden) have exceeded their overall (early+election day) 2016 vote totals in AZ, FL, GA, IA, MI, MN, NV, NC and TX,” Bonier tweeted. “Non-college white seniors haven’t reached their 2016 totals anywhere.”
As of this morning, white college-educated seniors (a group that has trended towards Biden) have exceeded their overall (early+election day) 2016 vote totals in AZ, FL, GA, IA, MI, MN, NV, NC and TX.
Non-college white seniors haven’t reached their 2016 totals anywhere.
— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) October 28, 2020
In Arlington County, early voting has been an ongoing challenge due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jill Caiazzo, chairwoman of Arlington Democrats, said that while grassroots organizing has been tough to execute, the party tries to innovate outreach every year. So, going virtual gave them a new method to try out. The party’s goal is to have a 90% turnout rate.
This year, Caiazzo says, the party’s volunteers have been working to spread the word that early voting is a safe and viable option.
“During a pandemic, in particular, having that extra flexibility about early voting is really critical,” Caiazzo said. “People can go when there are fewer crowds and can practice social distancing. It’s harder to do on Election Day.”
MacAdam, the assistant registrar, says the county is also ensuring extra steps to make sure public health guidelines are being met at polling stations — including regularly wiping down and sanitizing surfaces, pens, and anything that involves physical contact. Voters are also encouraged to stand six feet apart and wear masks when casting their ballot.
In addition to public safety concerns, county officials are also aiming to combat misinformation regarding mail-in and early voting, with misconceptions spreading about alternative voting methods being more susceptible to fraud.
“We try to correct all of the misinformation,” MacAdam said. “The mail-in ballots are perfectly safe. It’s a great way to vote. If you’re really worried about giving out coronavirus, you don’t have to leave your home that way, and we encourage people to be safe.”
Gretchen Reinemeyer, director of elections for Arlington County, said the county has received more than 7,500 ballots in their 24-hour drop box locations so far.
But still, among the most frequently asked question MacAdam says he gets from voters is whether their ballot will count.
“It doesn’t matter how you vote. Whether you mail it in, whether you put it in a drop box, or whether you come in here and vote in person and scan it yourself,” he said. “All those ballots are going to be counted, and they’re all counted and tallied at 7 o’clock on election night.”
Some voters who cast their ballot this week say they’re not only glad to have another option to cast their ballot but are also excited to get the job done after a year of anticipation.
“I actually felt really emotional casting this ballot,” said Anya McMurray. “I’m ready for this to be over, and it felt really important to do it early and get it done.”
Coco Hu said she was worried there would be a long line, but she got in and out of her polling place quickly — to her relief.
“I have seen some pictures of people voting in other places where the lines were really long, but this is really nice,” Hu said.
Marla Kelly, who proudly wore her “I Voted” sticker as she left the early polling location at Arlington’s Courthouse location on Tuesday, said she felt fortunate that she didn’t have to face any barriers to casting her ballot in a highly unprecedented year.
“As I was voting, I was really thinking how wonderful it is to live in a county where it’s accessible,” Kelly said. “There are multiple places that I can vote, and I didn’t have to wait. At no point did I feel disenfranchised here at all.”
