Virginia residents will take to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 4, casting their ballots for both state and local candidates.
At the state level, voters will choose a governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. In Orange and Madison counties, voters will also choose a Delegate. Madison is in the 62nd District while Orange is split between the 62nd and 63rd districts. At the local level, in Orange County, Districts 1 and 4 are up for election, including both the school board and board of supervisors seats. In Madison County, three supervisor seats and three school board seats are up for election. The Town of Gordonsville will choose one council member.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger who previously served as the 7th Congresswoman is seeking the governor’s seat against Republican and current Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. Democrat Ghazala F. Hashmi seeks to become the next lieutenant governor against Republican John J. Reid, II. Republican incumbent Jason S. Miyares is hoping to hold onto his seat against Democrat Jay C. Jones. Democrat and Greene County resident Sara H. Ratcliffe is seeking the 62nd District seat against Orange County Republican Karen F. Hamilton. Republican incumbent Phillip Scott is hoping to hold onto his 63rd District seat against Democrat Forest Miller.
In Orange County, voters in District 1 will choose from among planning commission chairman Jason Capelle, small business owner Andrew Fossen and Orange Tire co-owner Chris Herndon for supervisor and between retired educators Sid Trimmer and Rod Hawkins for school board. Both supervisor and school board incumbents Mark Johnson and Melissa Anderson respectively are not seeking reelection. In the Town of Gordonsville, Mary “Cyd” Black is seeking election to the town council. Black has been filling the seat left vacant by Ron Brooks’ election as mayor and is running unopposed.
Voters in District 4 will choose from incumbent Crystal Hale and business owner Robert Rabe, II for supervisor and O’Brian Martin and Tina Whittington for school board. Both Martin and Whittington were among the candidates who applied to fill the interim vacancy for the District 4 school board seat before board members opted to leave it empty until January when the person elected in November will be sworn in.
In Madison County, incumbent James “Jim” Jewett will seek to retain his board of supervisors seat, while newcomer Nancy Sharman and planning commissioner Mike Snider are seeking election to the remaining two open seats. Incumbent Dustin Dawson is not seeking reelection. Board chairman Clay Jackson unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the 62nd House of Delegates seat. He is running a write-in campaign to retain his board of supervisors seat.
Four are seeking election to three seats on the Madison County School Board. Lauran Gordon, Graham Davidson, Mitchell Dickey and Brittany “Britt” Shankle are running for school board. Incumbents Nita Collier, Christopher Wingate and Charlie Sheads are not seeking reelection.
Polls will open at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 and close at 7 p.m. The last day to vote early is Nov. 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Those casting ballots in-person are required to show one form of acceptable identification. Acceptable identification includes a Virginia driver’s license or DMV-issued ID card; a valid employee identification card with a photo issued by the voter’s employer in the ordinary course of business; a U.S. military ID; a valid student ID issued by a public or private high school or institution of higher education located in Virginia; a valid U.S. passport or passport card; a government-issued ID card from a federal, Virginia or local political subdivision; a voter ID card issued by the Department of Election; voter confirmation documents; valid tribal enrollment or tribal ID issued by one of the 11 tribes recognized by Virginia; a nursing home resident ID issued by a government facility; a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck containing the name and address of the voter; any other current government document containing the name and address of the voter; and a signed ID confirmation statement.
For answers to questions, contact the local registrar’s office. The Orange County Voter Registration Office is located at 130 North Madison Road, Orange and can be contacted by phone at (540) 672-5262. The Madison County Registrar’s Office is located at 414 N. Main Street, Madison and can be contacted by phone at (540) 948-6533.
Registered voters can view their polling place and check their voting history online at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/Lookup/polling.
For more information on the local candidates, visit A look at the local candidates: Madison County and A look at the local candidates: Orange County.
