Mayoral, City Council Primaries 2024: Early Voting To Begin In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — With contested mayoral and City Council races on the ballot, Alexandria will begin early voting Friday.

The Democratic primary election on June 18, 2024 will include races for Alexandria mayor and six City Council seats. Those elections will determine who will be on the ballot for the November general election. Alexandria's nine-member School Board will be on the ballot in November.

There is also a Republican primary for U.S. Senate to determine a candidate who will challenge Sen. Tim Kaine in November. Because Virginia voters are not registered by party, they may cast a ballot in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

In the Democratic primary for mayor, Councilmember Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Amy Jackson and businessman Steven Peterson.

In the City Council primary, candidates include incumbent Councilmembers John Taylor Chapman, Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley and Kirk McPike; Alexandria School Board members Jacinte Greene and Abdel Elnoubi; Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board chair James Lewis; Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority commissioner Kevin Harris; former magistrate Charlotte Scherer; nonprofit leader Jesse O'Connell and progressive tax policy staffer Jonathan Huskey.

If you want to hear from candidates, ALX Now had shared a list of debates and forums with mayoral or City Council candidates.

The Republican primary for U.S. Senate includes candidates Hung Cao, Eddie Garcia, Jonathan Emord, Chuck Smith and Scott Parkinson.

Sample ballots for the City of Alexandria are available to view.

How to Vote Early and on Election Day

Early in-person voting begins Friday, May 3 and continues through Saturday, June 15. Mail-in ballots will also start to be sent on May 3 to voters who requested one.

The early voting location for the primary is the Office of Voter Registration & Elections, 132 N. Royal St., #100, Alexandria, VA. An acceptable form of ID is required to vote in person.

Early voting hours are:

• May 3-June 15: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Monday, May 27)
• Extended hours Saturday, June 8 and 15: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, June 9: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Monday, June 10, Tuesday, June 11, Wednesday, June 12 and Thursday, June 13: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, June 15: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Registered voters may request a mail-in ballot by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 7 through the Virginia Department of Elections citizens portal. Other ways to return a completed application are by mail to 132 N. Royal St., #100, Alexandria, VA 22314, fax to 703-838-6449 or email to VoteAbsentee@alexandriava.gov.

Voters should follow the mail-in ballot instructions to return completed ballots. There is a choice to return by mail, a secure drop box with video surveillance outside the Office of Voter Registration & Elections, or at any polling place during voting hours. Mail-in ballots should be returned by 7 p.m. on June 18 or postmarked by June 18.

The deadline for voter registration is May 28. The easiest way to register to vote or check your registration status is visiting the Virginia Department of Elections citizens portal. The Alexandria Office of Voter Registration & Elections has other ways to register by mail or in person. After the voter registration deadline, same-day registration is available to let voters cast a provisional ballot.

Voters who will be 18 by the next general election on Nov. 5, 2024 can register to vote in the primary.

If you're voting on Election Day, visit your assigned polling place during voting hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check your polling place using the Virginia Department of Elections citizens portal and see a map of Alexandria precincts.

An acceptable form of ID is required to vote in person.

After polls close at 7 p.m. on June 18, preliminary election results will be tallied on the Virginia Department of Elections website.

For more information on voting in the City of Alexandria, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Elections.