Fredericksburg Municipal Elections To Be Held In 3 Weeks

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam pushed back state municipal elections, including Fredericksburg's mayoral, city council and school board elections, to May 19 from May 5. The Virginia legislature rejected the governor's plan to hold the elections in November. The governor had hoped to protect people from the coronavirus and give candidates more time to campaign by holding the elections in November.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, all Fredericksburg voters may vote at home through an absentee ballot. City residents who want a ballot should apply as sooon as possible. Residents can apply online at Voter Registrar's webpage. Residents without Internet access should call 540-372-1030 to request an application be mailed to them.

For mayor, Anne Little, who co-founded Tree Fredericksburg, is running against Mary Katherine Greenlaw, who is seeking her third term as mayor. For the city council, three people are running for the two at-large seats. Incumbents Matthew Kelly and Kerry Devine are running for reelection, with attorney Jon Gerlach seeking to unseat one of them. For the school board's two at-large seats, incumbents Jannan Holmes and Jarvis Bailey are not facing any challengers.

Absentee applications completed online are automatically submitted. All other applications may be returned by fax, email, or mail. The Voter Registrar's Office contact information is vote@vote.fredericksburgva.gov or call: 540-372-1030.

The last day for a resident to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them is May 12.

Here's a link to an absentee application for the May 19 local elections in Fredericksburg. And here's a sample ballot for the May 19 election for mayor, city council and school board.

Election day voting is scheduled to take place at the six polling stations across the city on Tuesday, May 19 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. A valid photo ID is required to vote in person.

The Voter Registrar's address is 601 Caroline Street, Suite 500-A, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.