How To Vote In Richmond On Tuesday

RICHMOND, VA — Election Day is Tuesday, and Virginians will head to the polls to choose their next governor in a tight race between Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie. In recent polls, Northam held a slim lead over Gillespie, who has closed the gap in the final weeks of the campaign.

Northam held a 3.3-point advantage over Gillespie, according to a RealClearPolitics aggregation of polls. Gillespie led by three points in one poll, was tied in two others, and Northam holds a small lead in five polls. Fox News reported Monday that Northam was up by five points.

If you need a refresher on where they stand on the issues — including the budget, health care, Confederate monuments and more — we've got you covered.

So how do you cast your vote Tuesday in Richmond? First, you need to find your polling place. Visit the Virginia Department of Elections website and enter your address. The site will then provide the name of the facility, the address, and the polling hours, as well as the contact for general registrar information.

So if you lived at the McDonald's on East Broad Street, you would vote at Main Street Station at 1500 East Main St. The polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Virginia law requires that all voters provide a form of photo identification at the polls. You may still be able to vote without one, but you'll have to cast a provisional ballot and will then have until noon on Friday, Nov. 10, to deliver a copy of identification to your locality's electoral board before the ballot will be counted.

Acceptable forms of ID include the following:

• Valid Virginia Driver’s License or Identification Card
• Valid Virginia DMV issued Veteran’s ID card
• Valid United States Passport
• Other government-issued photo identification cards (must be issued by US Government, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth)
• Tribal enrollment or other tribal ID issued by one of 11 tribes recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Valid college or university student photo identification card (must be from an institution of higher education located in Virginia)
• Valid student ID issued by a public school or private school in Virginia displaying a photo
• Employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer’s business

If you don't have any ID, you can get a free Virginia Voter Photo Identification from any general registrar's office in the state.

For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Elections website.

Below is a sample of what could be on your ballot, based on where you live.

Governor State of Virginia

• Ralph S. Northam, Democrat
• Edward W. /Ed/ Gillespie, Republican
• Clifford D. Hyra, Libertarian

Lieutenant Governor State of Virginia

• Justin E. Fairfax, Democrat
• Jill H. Vogel, Republican

Attorney General State of Virginia

• Mark R. Herring, Democrat
• John D. Adams, Republican

Member House of Delegates 71st District

• Jeff M. Bourne, Democrat

Commonwealth's Attorney Richmond City

• Michael N. Herring, Democrat

Sheriff Richmond City

• Antionette V. Irving, Democrat
• Nicole D. Jackson, Independent
• Emmett Johnson Jafari, Independent

Treasurer Richmond City

• Nichole Ona R. Armstead, Democrat
• Michelle R. Mosby, Independent
• L. Shirley Harvey, Independent

Proposition A

• Should the Charter of the City of Richmond be amended as follows:
  • Shall the Charter of the City of Richmond be amended as follows: Section 6.15 - Fulfilling the Promise of Equal Educational Opportunities. (a) Preamble "Education is the great equalizer" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wisely taught us. In their historic Brown v. Board of Education decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court said "education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments." They concluded the opportunity for an education "is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms." The Justices further indicated the "physical condition of the school plant" could deny this fundamental right. In 1970, Virginians by public referendum adopted a new state constitution to ensure equality of educational opportunity. Yet national and Virginia studies show the average public school facility has been allowed to age into obsolescence. Thus while Richmond's facilities are collectively more obsolete, our situation is not unique. Respected experts have long warned that students spending their public school lifetimes in such facilities suffer significant and permanent educational detriment. Dr. King famously observed a right delayed is a right denied. We, the people, have therefore chosen to lead. We believe our success can set a needed example for the nation. (b) Duty of the Mayor Not later than six months after this section becomes law, the Mayor shall formally present to the City Council a fully-funded plan to modernize the city's K-12 educational infrastructure consistent with national standards or inform City Council such a plan is not feasible. In fulfilling the duties herein, the Mayor shall consult with the School Board, City Council, consider cost savings available in state or federal law and further provide an opportunity for public participation. (c)No New or Increased Taxes The fully-funded plan required in subsection (b) cannot be based on the passage of new or increased taxes for that purpose. (d) Duty of the School Board Nothing herein shall alter powers previously given to the School Board. (e) Duty of the City Council Once the Mayor has complied with subsection (b), the City Council shall have 90 days to take such action as it deems appropriate.

Patch's Dan Taylor contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Steve Helber/Associated Press