Fredericksburg Election Day Guide: Congressional Races, School Board And More

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Fredericksburg voters will head to the polls Tuesday to choose their representatives in the U.S. House and Senate, fill a seat on the Fredericksburg School Board 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.

The ballot includes two U.S. Senate candidates, six candidates for Virginia's 7th Congressional District, a Fredericksburg School Board contest, and three statewide constitutional amendments.

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 advisory positions involving the first Trump presidential campaign and the CIA. He has previously sought federal office in Virginia.

The candidates appearing on Fredericksburg's ballot are:

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

Voters may also write in a candidate.

7th Congressional District

Fredericksburg is part of Virginia's 7th Congressional District.

Democratic incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman is seeking re-election against Republican Douglas Ollivant, Libertarian Taner Lopez and three independent candidates: Alaha Ahrar, Joshua Ertle and Randall A. Terry.

The candidates are:

• Eugene Vindman — Democrat
• Douglas Ollivant — Republican
• Taner Lopez — Libertarian
• Alaha Ahrar — Independent
• Joshua Ertle — Independent
• Randall A. Terry — Independent

Voters may also write in a candidate.

Fredericksburg School Board

Fredericksburg voters will also elect one member of the Fredericksburg City School Board. Justin Michael Carter is the only candidate on the school board ballot.

The city's Office of Voter Registration and Elections identifies the School Board contest as part of the Nov. 3 general and special election.

Residents can review the city's official sample ballot for candidates in all races.

Three Constitutional Amendments

Fredericksburg 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.

Fredericksburg residents must vote at their assigned Election Day precinct. Unlike early voting, when city residents could cast ballots at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections, 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 to a secure drop box behind FXBG City Center, 601 Caroline St. The city also provides ballot drop boxes at each precinct on Election Day. All drop boxes close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The city must receive completed absentee ballots returned in person 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.

Fredericksburg voters can also review the city's official sample ballot before heading to the polls.

For additional information, contact the Fredericksburg Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 540-372-1030 or visit the office at 601 Caroline St., Suite 500.