FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Early voting in Virginia for the Nov. 3 general election begins on Friday. Voters in Fredericksburg will cast ballots to decide who will represent them on Capitol Hill. They will also vote on three statewide ballot questions.
In the Aug. 4 Republican primary, Bert Mizusawa was declared the GOP's candidate for U.S. Senate on the Nov. 3 ballot. He defeated challengers David E. Williams and Kim Farington. Mizusawa faces incumbent Senator Mark Warner (D).
Mizusawa is a decorated retired Army major general who also holds a law degree. He's had a long career that's included senior military leadership roles, legal and federal contracting work, and positions advising the first Trump campaign and the CIA. He has unsuccessfully run for federal office in Virginia before.
In the 7th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Eugene Vindman is facing Republican Douglas Ollivant, Libertarian Taner Lopez, and three independent challengers: Alaha Ahrar, Joshua Ertle, and Randell A. Terry.
Member, United States Senate
Member, House Of Representatives (7th District)
The ballot question reads:
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?
Summary: The amendment would establish a constitutional right to reproductive freedom and protect patients and those assisting them from punishment for exercising that right. It would allow the state to regulate third-trimester abortions, but require exceptions when a physician determines an abortion is needed to protect the pregnant patient's life or physical or mental health, or when the fetus is not viable.
The ballot question reads:
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?
Summary: The amendment would remove Virginia's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which the Department of Elections explains is unenforceable under the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. It would prohibit denying marriage licenses to two adults based on sex, gender or race and require equal treatment of lawful marriages.
The ballot question reads:
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended (i) to provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, (ii) to revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and (iii) to update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting?
Summary: The amendment would establish a fundamental right to vote for qualified voters and automatically restore voting rights to people convicted of felonies upon release from incarceration, without requiring restoration by the governor. It would also require a specific court finding that a person cannot understand the act of voting before removing voting rights on grounds of incapacity.
Starting on Friday, Fredericksburg voters will be able to cast ballots in person Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the City of Fredericksburg Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 601 Caroline St., Suite 500. All city offices will be closed Monday, Oct. 12, in observance of Columbus Day.
The Office of Voter Registration and Elections will also be open on Saturdays, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., for early in-person voting. The early voting period ends on Oct. 31.
The deadline to file for a by-mail ballot is Friday, Oct. 23. Completed ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on that day. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections.
The deadline to register or to update registration information is Friday, Oct. 23. Applications must be returned in person by 5 p.m. or online by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 23. Check your registration status at the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.
On Election Day, Nov. 3, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find your polling location on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
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