Early voting in the Fredericksburg area tops 2022 totals, with Saturday the last day

Early ballots cast across the Fredericksburg region have already passed the full early-vote counts from the 2022 midterm elections, according to Virginia Public Access Project figures through Oct. 28 cited by the Fredericksburg Free Press.

Local numbers

Stafford voters had cast just under 21,700 early ballots, compared with 16,760 in 2022. Spotsylvania stood at 22,630, up from about 20,000 four years ago. The city of Fredericksburg had topped 4,000 early ballots, more than its 2022 total of about 3,500. Caroline (4,320) and King George (4,860) were also ahead of their 2022 marks.

In the 7th Congressional District, which includes the city and Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Culpeper, Orange, Greene and Madison counties and part of Albemarle, just under 117,000 early votes had been cast. That compares with about 90,700 at the same point in 2022, the Free Press reported.

Statewide picture

Statewide, roughly 1.3 million early ballots had been cast as of Oct. 28, more than the 976,160 total votes cast in the 2022 midterms, according to the Free Press. WSET likewise reported that early turnout has passed 2022 levels, and Radio IQ/WHRO reported that early voting is breaking state records, citing Department of Elections data posted by VPAP. The Free Press reported that turnout is up over 2022 in all 11 of Virginia's congressional districts.

Stephen Farnsworth, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Mary Washington, told the Free Press that early voters tend to be people who would vote anyway, and that voting early lets voters avoid possible lines or complications on Election Day. A George Mason University analyst quoted by WHRO cautioned that early numbers do not indicate results.

Key dates

In-person early voting ends Saturday, Oct. 31, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. Voters can cast an early ballot at their local general registrar's office. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and polls close at 7 p.m.