General Election 2022: Dates, Races To Know In Manassas

MANASSAS, VA — Early voting in Prince William County began on Sept. 23 and will continue until Nov. 5. The last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 17. However, people who fail to register to vote in advance can still vote with a provisional ballot and register on Election Day.

The biggest election for voters in western Prince William County is for the 10th district congressional seat. Incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton is being challenged by Republican Hung Cao.

The 10th district "leans Democrat," according to the 2022 Cook Political Report's House race ratings.

Wexton took office in 2019 after she defeated then-incumbent Republican Barbara Comstock. She previously served in the Virginia Senate and now sits on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Cao is a retired Navy Captain who served in a special operations unit for 25 years. Cao originally came to Virginia as Vietnamese refugee in 1975 and was a graduate of the inaugural class of Thomas Jefferson High School in 1982.

In the City of Manassas, the following candidates are running for local seats:

• Manassas City Council
  • Democrat Dheeraj Jagadev
  • Democrat Sonia Velasquez Luna
  • Democrat Ralph Smith
  • Republican Rick Bookwalter
  • Republican Theresa Coates Ellis
  • Republican Lynn Forkell Greene
• Manassas City School Board
  • Sara Brescia
  • Samuel Gross
  • Abraham "Alex" Iqbal
  • Mel Kent
  • Jill Spall
  • Lisa Stevens

Any registered voter can vote in the November 2022 election, as Virginia does not register voters by party. In-person early voting in Prince William County will continue through Saturday, Nov. 5. Election Day voting will happen from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Key Dates to Know

• Oct. 17: Deadline for voter registration or updating an existing voter registration (such as address change). Visit vote.elections.virginia.gov to register or update your registration.
• Oct. 25: Additional early voting sites open.
• Oct. 28: Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot. The quickest way to apply for a mail-in ballot is online at vote.elections.virginia.gov.
• Nov. 5: Last day for in-person early voting.
• Nov. 8: Polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. For voters returning a mail-in ballot, they must be returned to the Office of Elections by 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 and received by noon on Nov. 14.

Early voting is available in person and does not require an application in advance. An acceptable form of identification is required for in-person voting in Virginia.

Here are the early voting locations that are now open in Prince William County:

• Office of Elections, 9250 Lee Ave
• DMV Woodbridge, 2731 Caton Hill Rd
• Haymarket Gainesville Library, 14870 Lightner Rd
• Manassas Registrar's office, 9025 Center Street
• Manassas Park Registrar's office, 100 Park Central Plaza, Suite 103

The following locations will open for early voting on Oct. 25:

• Brentsville Courthouse, 12229 Bristow Rd
• Dumfries Community Center, 17755 Main Street

Early voting is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday and on Saturday, Oct. 29, Sunday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Nov. 5.

Mail-in Ballots

Virginia voters do not need an excuse to request a mail-in ballot. Mail-in ballots may be requested by visiting vote.elections.virginia.gov.

Applications to request a mail-in ballot are due by Oct. 28. Completed ballots must be returned to the Office of Elections by 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 or postmarked by Nov. 8 and received by noon on Nov. 14.

Voting on Election Day

If you're voting on Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. An acceptable form of identification is required to vote in person at your polling place.

Confirm your polling place by visiting vote.elections.virginia.gov.

Unofficial election results will start to come in after polls close on the Virginia Department of Elections website. Follow Patch on Election Day for live coverage of congressional election results.