DC Voter Guide 2020: Deadlines, Candidates, How To Vote

WASHINGTON, DC — The Nov. 3 election is quickly approaching in Washington, D.C., and voters have already begun submitting absentee ballots through early voting locations, mail and drop boxes. This year, D.C. voters will decide on races for the elector of president and vice president; delegate to the U.S. House; shadow representatives for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate; at-large member of the State Board of Election; member of the D.C. Council in Wards 2, 4, 7, and 8; member of the State Board of Election for Wards 2, 4, 7, and 8; advisory neighborhood commissioner, and initiative Measure Number 81.

The voter registration deadline is coming up on Tuesday, Oct. 13. That deadline also applies to voters to update their address. D.C. voters may register at https://forms.dc.gov/f/DC_Voter_Registration_Form.

Early Voting

Early Vote Centers in the District will be open Tuesday, Oct. 27 to Monday, Nov. 3, from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Vote Centers will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Super Vote Centers will be able to accommodate large numbers of voters; however, curbside voting will not be offered.

Early Vote Centers:

• Columbia Heights Community Center - Gymnasium, 1480 Girard St., N.W., Washington, DC 20009
• Prince Hall Center for the Performing Arts (Masonic Temple) - Ballroom, 1000 U St., N.W., Washington, DC 20001
• Marie Reed Elementary School - Gymnasium, 2201 18th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20009
• Capital One Sports Arena - Concourse Area (Super Vote Center), 601 F St., N.W., Washington, DC 20004
• School without Walls @Francis Stevens - Gymnasium, 2425 N St., N.W., Washington, DC 20037
• Hardy Middle School - Gymnasium, 1819 35th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20007
• Murch Elementary School - Gymnasium, 4810 36th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20008
• University of the District of Columbia - Gymnasium (Super Vote Center), 4200 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20008
• Omni Shoreham Hotel - Ballroom (Super Vote Center), 2500 Calvert St., N.W., Washington, DC 20008
• Horace Mann Elementary School - Multi-Purpose Room, 4430 Newark St., N.W., Washington, DC 20016
• Lafayette Elementary School - Gymnasium, 5701 Broad Branch Road, N.W., Washington, DC 20015
• Shepherd Elementary School - Multi-Purpose Room, 7800 14th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20012
• Ida B. Wells Middle School - Gymnasium, 405 Sheridan St., N.W., Washington, DC 20011
• Raymond Recreation Center - Gymnasium, 3725 10th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20010
• Emery Heights Community Center - Gymnasium, 5801 Georgia Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20011
• Turkey Thicket Recreation Center - Gymnasium, 1100 Michigan Ave., N.E, Washington, DC 20017
• McKinley Technology High School - Gymnasium, 151 T St., N.E., Washington, DC 20002
• Trinidad Recreation Center - Gymnasium, 1310 Childress St., N.E., Washington, DC 20002
• Dock 5 @ Union Market - Event Space (Super Vote Center), 1309 5th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20002
• Washington Nationals Park - Concourse Area (Super Vote Center), 1500 South Capitol St., S.E., Washington, DC 20003
• Walker-Jones Education Campus - Gymnasium, 1125 New Jersey Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20001
• Kennedy Recreation Center - Gymnasium, 1401 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
• Sherwood Recreation Center - Gymnasium, 640 10th St., N.E., Washington, DC
• Benning Stoddert Community Center - Gymnasium, 100 Stoddert Place, S.E., Washington, DC 20019
• Deanwood Community Center - Gymnasium, 1350 49th St., N.E. , Washington, DC 20019
• Hillcrest Recreation Center - Gymnasium, 3100 Denver St., S.E., Washington, DC 20020
• Ridge Road Community Center - Gymnasium, 830 Ridge Road, S.E., Washington, DC 20019
• Ballou Senior High School - Gymnasium, 3401 4th St., S.E., Washington, DC 20032
• Entertainment and Sports Arena - Concourse Area, 1100 Oak Drive, S.E., Washington, DC 20032
• Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center - Gymnasium, 3999 8th St., S.E., Washington, DC 20032
• Anacostia Senior High School - Gymnasium, 1601 16th St., S.E., Washington, DC 20020
• Malcolm X Opportunity Center - Gymnasium, 1351 Alabama Ave., S.E., Washington, DC 20032

The District has 55 drop boxes available for all voters to drop-off their absentee/early ballots. The drop boxes are open at these locations until 8 p.m.

Preparing for Election Day

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The 96 Vote Centers will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you will be able to vote. A full list of the 95 Vote Centers is available in the district's Voter Guide.

What's on the Ballot

Sample ballots are now available for D.C. voters.

• Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6
• Ward 2
• Ward 4
• Ward 7
• Ward 8

Below are the candidates on the ballots and proposed initiative measure:

Electors of President and Vice President

• Jo Jorgensen - Jeremy "Spike" Cohen (Libertarian)
• Howie Hawkins - Angela Walker (Statehood Green)
• Joseph R. Biden - Kamala D. Harris (Democratic)
• Gloria La Riva - Sunil Freeman (Independent)
• Donald J. Trump - Michael R. Pence (Republican)
• Brock Pierce - Karla Ballard (Independent)

Delegate to the House of Representatives

• Omari Musa (Socialist Workers)
• Amir Lowery (Independent)
• Patrick Hynes (Libertarian)
• Natale Lino Stracuzzi (Statehood Green)
• Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democratic)
• John "Recovery" Cheeks (Independent)
• Barbara Washington Franklin (Independent)
• David Krucoff (Independent)

At-Large Member of D.C. Council

• Vincent Orange (Independent)
• Franklin Garcia (Independent)
• Rick Murphree (Independent)
• Marya Pickering (Republican)
• Marcus Goodwin (Independent)
• Markus Batchelor (Independent)
• Michangelo "DoctorMic" Scruggs (Independent)
• Mario Cristaldo (Independent)
• Calvin H. Gurley (Independent)
• Claudia Barragán (Independent)
• Keith Silver (Independent)
• Alexander M. "Alex" Padro (Independent)
• Robert White (Democrat)
• Jeanné Lewis (Independent)
• Mónica Palacio (Independent)
• Ann C. Wilcox (Statehood Green)
• Joe Bishop-Henchman (Libertarian)
• Kathy Henderson (Independent)
• Eric M. Rogers (Independent)
• Chander Jayaraman (Independent)
• A'Shia Howard (Independent)
• Ed Lazere (Independent)
• Will Merrifield (Independent)

Ward 2 Member of the D.C Council

• Randy Downs (Independent)
• Brooke Pinto (Democratic)
• Martín Miguel Fernandez (Independent)
• Peter Bolton (Statehood Green)

Ward 4 Member of the D.C Council

• Perry Redd (Statehood Green)
• Janeese Lewis George (Democratic)

Ward 7 Member of the D.C Council

• Vincent C. Gray (Democratic)

Ward 8 Member of the D.C Council

• Trayon "Ward Eight" White (Democratic)
• Fred Hill (Independent)
• Christopher Cole (Independent)
• Nate 'Ward 8' Derenge (Republican)

U.S. Senator

• Cornelia Weiss (Republican)
• Eleanor Ory (Echo) (Statehood Green)
• Paul Strauss (Democrat)

U.S. Representative

• Sohaer Rizvi Syed (Independent)
• Oye Owolewa (Democrat)
• Joyce (Chestnut) Robinson-Paul (Statehood Green)

At-Large Member of the State Board of Election

• Jacque Patterson
• Mysiki Valentine
• Ravi K. Perry
• Chris Martin
• Dorothy Douglas
• Troy Murphy

Ward 2 Member of the State Board of Election

• Allister Chang
• James Harnett
• Sarah Mehrotra
• Christopher Etesse

Ward 4 Member of the State Board of Election

• Frazier L. O'Leary, Jr.

Ward 7 Member of the State Board of Election

• Don Trell Smith
• Charles Boston
• Eboni - Rose Thompson
• Karen Williams

Ward 8 Member of the State Board of Election

• Ryan Washington
• Carlene D. Reid
• Lajoy Johnson-Law

Initiative Measure No. 81: Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020

If enacted, this Initiative would:

1. Make the investigation and arrest of adults for non-commercial planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, possessing, and/or engaging in practices with entheogenic plants and fungi among the Metropolitan Police Department’s lowest law enforcement priorities; and
2. Codify that the people of the District of Columbia call upon the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia to cease prosecution of residents of the District of Columbia for these activities.

To help ensure your vote is among those tallied in D.C., follow this checklist:

• All active voters in D.C. will receive a mail-in ballot at their registered address for the Nov. 3 General Election. Ballots will be mailed the first week in October.
• District residents can check their voter registration status on the D.C. Board of Elections website.
• The deadline to register to vote, by mail or in-person, is Oct. 13. That's when BOE needs to receive the registration.
• The District will also be opening 16 Vote Centers during the early voting period from Oct. 27-Nov. 2 and 90 voting centers on Election Day.
• Voted and mailed ballots must be postmarked or otherwise demonstrated to have been sent on or before Election Day. They also must arrive no later than the 10th day after Election Day.
• Beginning in October, voters can check the status of their mail-in ballot here.