Virginia House 35 Special Election: Candidates, How To Vote

VIENNA, VA — The special election to fill the Virginia House of Delegates 35th District seat is set for Tuesday. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The special election was scheduled after Del. Mark Keam (D-Fairfax) resigned in September to take a Biden administration role. The special election's candidates are Democrat Holly Seibold and Republican Monique Baroudi.

Seibold is a former teacher who founded an educational firm and the nonprofit BRAWS, which provides menstrual supplies and undergarments to women and girls. Baroudi is an Oakton resident and information technology professional who had attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

The winning candidate will fill the vacant House 35 seat for the remainder of the term until January 2024. Learn about Seibold at www.hollyseibold.com and Baroudi at mbforvirginia.com.

The district includes the Town of Vienna and parts of Oakton, Fair Oaks, Dunn Loring and Tysons. Voters in 20 Fairfax County precincts are eligible to vote in the special election: 204 Madison, 213 Vienna #1, 214 Vienna #2, 216 Vienna #4, 218 Vienna #6, 701 Blake, 704 Freedom Hill, 720 Thoreau, 726 Magarity, 727 Oakton, 729 Nottoway, 731 Tysons, 732 Oak Marr, 733 Kilmer, 734 Hunters Branch, 735 Rotonda, 802 Cedar Lake, 844 Centerpointe, 856 Penderbrook, and 857 Island Pond.

According to an Office of Elections report, there are 60,600 active voters registered in the 35th House of Delegates district. The latest daily absentee voting report indicates there have been 3,695 ballots cast, which includes 2,479 ballots returned by mail, 196 ballots returned by drop box, and 1,020 early in-person votes. That equates to a 6.1 percent voter turnout so far.

How to Vote

Those voting on Tuesday can head to their assigned polling place between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. See a sample ballot here.

Voters can confirm their precinct and voter registration status using the Virginia Department of Elections citizens portal.

Residents who will be 18 on or before the day of the next general election — Nov. 7, 2023 —are eligible to vote in the primary election. Same-day registration is available in Virginia.

An acceptable form of identification is required for in-person voting in Virginia. Some examples of accepted ID include a Virginia driver's license or DMV issued ID card, student ID, U.S. military ID and employee ID with a photo.

If you are returning a mail-in ballot, it must be received by the Fairfax County Office of Elections by 7 p.m. on Jan. 10 in person, or postmarked on or before Jan. 10 and received by the Office of Elections by noon on Jan. 13.

Mail-in ballots may also be returned 24/7 in the secure drop box in front of the Fairfax County Government Center or at polling locations on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For additional information on the special election, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.

What's Next for Elections

The 35th House District special election is only to fill the seat for the rest of the term with the current district boundaries. All Virginia House of Delegates and Senate seats will be up for election in 2023, when redrawn district maps will take effect. New districts were drawn during a mandated redistricting process after the 2020 Census.

The 35th House District will become the 12th House District with the new term beginning in early 2024. That new district will include parts of Vienna, Oakton, Tysons, Dunn Loring, Merrifield and Mantua.

If a primary election is called, it would be held on June 20, 2023. The general election will be on Nov. 7, 2023. Along with Virginia House and Senate elections, there will be Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board elections as well as Vienna Town Council elections.