Fairfax County Election Day Guide: Congressional Races, $255M In Bonds And More

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County voters will head to the polls Tuesday to choose their U.S. House and Senate representatives, decide whether the county should borrow $255 million for parks and community facilities, and vote on three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution.

Early voting ended Saturday, Oct. 31, but voters will have one final opportunity to cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 general election. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, and anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Fairfax County voters will choose candidates in one of three congressional districts, depending on where they live. All county voters will decide two bond referendums and three statewide constitutional amendments. Town of Herndon residents will also vote in mayoral and Town Council elections.

U.S. Senate

Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner is seeking another term against Republican Bert Mizusawa, who won the Republican nomination in the Aug. 4 primary.

Mizusawa, a retired Army major general and attorney, defeated David E. Williams and Kim Farington in the Republican primary. His career includes senior military leadership roles, legal and federal contracting work, and positions advising the first Trump presidential campaign and the CIA. He has previously sought federal office in Virginia.

The candidates appearing on Fairfax County ballots are:

• Mark R. Warner — Democrat
• Bert Mizusawa — Republican

Voters may also write in a candidate.

8th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Rep. Don Beyer is seeking another term after winning the Democratic primary in August. He faces Republican Tony Sabio, Libertarian Shelly Arnoldi and independent Tim Sharman in the general election.

The candidates are:

• Donald S. Beyer Jr. — Democrat
• Tony A. Sabio — Republican
  • Read Sabio's answers to Patch's candidate questionnaire.
• Shelly M. Arnoldi — Libertarian
  • Read Arnoldi's answers to Patch's candidate questionnaire.
• Tim S. Sharman — Independent
  • Read Sharman's answers to Patch's candidate questionnaire.

Beyer defeated four challengers — Michael Christian Duffin, Adam Dunigan, Mo Seifeldein and Lorena Thorne Bruner — in the Democratic primary.

Voters may also write in a candidate.

10th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Rep. Suhas Subramanyam is seeking re-election against Republican Dave Beckwith and independent Ahsen Mujeeb Malik.

Beckwith won the Republican nomination in August, defeating Julia Anna Perry, Anthony L. Suttles and M. Sam Wong.

The candidates are:

• Suhas Subramanyam — Democrat
• Dave T. Beckwith — Republican
• Ahsen Mujeeb Malik — Independent

Voters may also write in a candidate.

11th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Rep. James Walkinshaw is seeking re-election against Republican Arthur Purves and Green Party candidate Dianne Blais.

The candidates are:

• James R. Walkinshaw — Democrat
• Arthur G. Purves — Republican
• Dianne L. Blais — Green Party

Voters may also write in a candidate.

Fairfax County residents can determine their congressional district by checking the official sample ballots provided by the county's Office of Elections.

Town Of Herndon Elections

Residents of the Town of Herndon will also vote in local elections for mayor and six Town Council seats.

The candidates listed for mayor include:

• Keven J. LeBlanc Jr.

The Town Council ballot includes Josif N. Ezekilov, Cesar A. Del Aguila and Douglas Isaac "Doug" Mejia, among other candidates.

Member, Town Council, Town of Herndon—Vote for not more than six

• Josif N. Ezekilov
• Cesar A. Del Aguila
• Douglas Isaac "Doug" Mejia
• Sabrina A. Bruce
• Kelvin Garcia
• Yasmin "Soniya" Shafiq
• Meron T. Yohannes
• Clark A. Hedrick
• Michael T. Lloyd
• Justin K. Britt
• Alexis "Alex" Reyes
• Stevan Michael Porter

Herndon residents can review the complete candidate list on the Fairfax County Office of Elections website or consult the town's official sample ballot.

Two Fairfax County Bond Referendums

Fairfax County voters will decide two bond referendums totaling $255 million. Each question asks whether the county should be authorized to borrow money for specific capital improvement projects.

Parks And Park Facilities — $180 Million

A yes vote would authorize Fairfax County to borrow up to $180 million to purchase land for parks, preserve open space, construct and equip new park facilities, and improve existing parks.

The county would be required to repay the borrowed money with interest.

A no vote would reject the proposed additional borrowing. It would not cancel park bonds voters previously approved.

Community Health And Human Services Facilities — $75 Million

A yes vote would authorize Fairfax County to borrow up to $75 million to acquire land and construct, expand, renovate or equip facilities that provide health care and other community support services.

The county would be required to repay the borrowed money with interest.

A no vote would reject the proposed additional borrowing. It would not cancel previously approved bonds for those facilities.

Additional information about both referendums is available on the Fairfax County bond information website.

Three Constitutional Amendments

Fairfax County voters will also decide three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Each will appear as a separate ballot question.

The proposals concern reproductive rights, marriage equality and restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies.

Question 1: Reproductive Freedom

Question 1 concerns reproductive rights, including decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, contraception, abortion and fertility care.

A yes vote would establish constitutional protections for those decisions and protect patients and health care providers from punishment for exercising those rights.

The state could restrict abortions during the third trimester, subject to exceptions when a physician determines the procedure is necessary to protect the patient's life or physical or mental health, or when the fetus cannot survive outside the womb.

A no vote would leave the Virginia Constitution unchanged. It would not, by itself, prohibit abortion or change existing laws.

Question 2: Marriage Equality

Question 2 would remove the Virginia Constitution's existing prohibition on same-sex marriage and establish protections for marriage regardless of sex, gender or race.

A yes vote would approve the amendment and require equal treatment of legally recognized marriages.

A no vote would retain the existing constitutional language, although same-sex marriage would remain legal under current federal constitutional protections.

Question 3: Restoration Of Voting Rights

Question 3 would change how voting rights are restored to people convicted of felonies.

A yes vote would establish voting as a fundamental right for qualified voters and automatically restore voting rights upon release from incarceration, without requiring the governor to restore them.

The amendment would also require a court determination that someone cannot understand the act of voting before voting rights could be removed on that basis.

A no vote would retain the existing system requiring restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies and the current constitutional restriction involving people adjudicated mentally incompetent.

Voting On Election Day

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Fairfax County residents must vote at their assigned Election Day precinct. Unlike early voting, when residents could cast ballots at any county early voting location, voters must report to their designated polling places Tuesday.

Residents can find their assigned polling places through the Virginia Department of Elections voter information portal.

Early in-person voting ended Saturday, Oct. 31. The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail was Oct. 23.

Voters who have already received absentee ballots can return them in person at any Fairfax County Election Day polling place or at the secure ballot drop box outside the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax, until 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Completed absentee ballots returned in person must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by noon on Friday, Nov. 6.

Virginia allows eligible residents who missed the Oct. 23 regular voter registration deadline to register through Election Day and cast a provisional ballot.

Voters can check their registration status through the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.

Fairfax County voters can also review the county's official sample ballots, which are available for the 8th, 10th and 11th congressional districts, along with a separate ballot for the Town of Herndon.

For additional information, contact the Fairfax County Office of Elections at 703-222-0776.