Fredericksburg VA Election: House, Senate, Presidential Races

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Election Day 2020 has almost arrived in Fredericksburg, with voters coming out to vote in the presidential election, along with casting a ballot in the 1st Congressional District.

A large percentage of voters in Fredericksburg have already voted by mail or in-person absentee. But lines are expected at polling stations on Tuesday due to social distancing and other precautions taken due to the coronavirus.

On the ballot in Fredericksburg are the presidential election, U.S. Senate and the 1st Congressional District. Two state constitutional amendments are also on the ballot.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. For those voting in person on Nov. 3 in Fredericksburg, you can check your polling place at vote.elections.virginia.gov.

An acceptable form of identification is required to vote in person, but it no longer has to be a photo ID. Examples of accepted IDs include a Virginia driver's license or DMV-issued photo ID, U.S. passport, and copy of a utility bill, paycheck or other government document showing the voter's address.

In the 1st district, Rep. Robert Wittman (R) is seeking re-election in a race against Qasim Rashid (D).

Wittman has represented Virginia's 1st congressional district, which includes much of the Fredericksburg area and runs through the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, since winning a special election in 2007.

Rashid, a human rights lawyer and book author, also works as a consultant, helping businesses and nonprofits improve corporate strategy. Rashid defeated Vangie Williams in the June Democratic primary.

Wittman said that the coronavirus crisis has led to unprecedented economic disruption. "When the economy begins to open up, we need to be prepared — we need to support our small businesses and prepare potential employees to fill jobs as they become available. We must continue to incentivize rehiring, remove regulatory barriers to job creation," he said on his campaign website.

Rashid said the 1st Congressional District, along with the rest of the nation, needs "a robust posture on healthcare, with the scaling up of testing being of utmost importance."

"It is wide scale testing that will effectively restart the economy, short of a COVID-19 vaccine," Rashid said on his campaign website.

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The two constitutional amendments on the ballot are:

Constitutional Amendment #1
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to establish a redistricting commission, consisting of eight members of the General Assembly and eight citizens of the Commonwealth, that is responsible for drawing the congressional and state legislative districts that will be subsequently voted on, but not changed by, the General Assembly and enacted without the Governor's involvement and to give the responsibility of drawing districts to the Supreme Court of Virginia if the redistricting commission fails to draw districts or the General Assembly fails to enact districts by certain deadlines?

Constitutional Amendment #2
Should an automobile or pickup truck that is owned and used primarily by or for a veteran of the United States armed forces or the Virginia National Guard who has a one hundred percent service connected, permanent, and total disability be free from state and local taxation?

For more information, visit the City of Fredericksburg's elections office website.