On November 5, 2024, all Stafford offices and courts will be closed for Election Day. However, the R-Board/Regional Landfills will be open, and emergency services along with outdoor parks will still operate as usual.
Press Release:
Stafford offices, departments, facilities, and all courts will be closed on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, for Election Day.
Both locations of the R-Board/Regional Landfill (Eskimo Hill and Belman Road) will be open on Election Day.
The following offices and facilities will remain open:
Fire and Rescue Information (540) 658-7200
Emergency 911
Sheriff’s Office Information (540) 658-4400
Emergency 911
Magistrate (540) 659-2968
All outdoor parks are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Fredericksburg city press release:
Regular polling places will be open and operating per usual on November 5, 2024.
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A sign for Republican Senate Candidate Hung Cao and Republican Derrick Anderson, running to replace the outgoing Abigail Spanberger in Congress, was spotted defaced today at Prince William Parkway and Ridgefield Road in Woodbridge.
As early voting continues across the area, the voter turnout for 2024 reflects shifts in participation compared to previous election cycles, with mixed trends between mail-in and in-person ballots.
Manassas Park Overview
Patricia Brendel, the Director of Elections for Manassas Park, provided data showing a decrease in mail-in ballots from the 2020 presidential election, attributing the drop to the heightened demand for mail-in voting due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020.
In comparison:
– 2016 Mail-In Ballots: 485
– 2020 Mail-In Ballots: 2,013
– 2024 Mail-In Ballots (as of 10/28): 801
Despite this, in-person voting turnout has been robust. With increased opportunities for early, no-excuse voting, in-person turnout remains stronger than in 2016.
– 2016 In-Person Early Voting: 752
– 2020 In-Person Early Voting: 2,718
– 2024 In-Person Early Voting (as of 10/28): 1,894
Brendel anticipates a strong turnout on Election Day itself, potentially surpassing 2020’s 1,618-voter turnout in the election-day precincts.
Stafford County Trends
Stafford County also shows a solid early voting response, though, like Manassas Park, numbers remain below 2020 levels. General Registrar Anna Hash reports that 23,777 residents have voted early in person as of yesterday, while 7,113 mail-in ballots have been returned.
Although specific comparative figures from 2020 are unavailable, Hash maintains that turnout levels indicate healthy voter engagement.
As the 2024 election approaches, both counties are preparing for continued voter activity. Election Day turnout could potentially close the gap in 2020 figures.
We also asked Prince William County, Manassas, and Fredericksburg cities and will post information from those locations upon receipt.
Election Day is in one week, Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
From The Center Square:
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced late Sunday the commonwealth will file an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to block the return of more than 1,500 noncitizens to voter rolls.
The appeal follows a unanimous panel ruling Sunday from the Fourth Circuit of Appeals rejecting Virginia’s request to stop an order from a lower court to reinstate noncitizens removed from voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
From The Center Square
Despite Democrat Eugene Vindman raising more than five times as much as his Republican opponent Derrick Anderson, the race for Virginia’s 7th District remains tight.
A new poll shows Anderson lags Vindman by only 2%, a statistical tie according to one of the poll’s partners.
From New York Post:
Trump whistleblower and Virginia congressional candidate Eugene Vindman refuses to answer questions about his business dealings in Ukraine, which started after he took more than a dozen taxpayer-funded trips to the war-torn nation.
From St. George’s Episcopal Church:
St. George’s Episcopal Church in downtown Fredericksburg will be open for prayer 8 am – 6 pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, with brief public prayer services at 8.00 am, 12 pm, and 5.30 pm.
Located at 905 Princess Anne Street, St. George’s recognizes the responsibility each of us has, to vote and to pray. “St. George’s is a house of prayer for all people. We hope that having the church open to all in love on Election Day is a chance not only to pray about this important time of decision for our nation, but also to abide in the presence of the Divine with a sense of wonder,” explained the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley, Jr., rector of St. George’s.
On Election Day, St. George’s invites everyone to join together in prayer. The nave (worship area of the church) will be open for silent prayer, with printed prayers and other resources available. Clergy and lay prayer ministers will be present throughout the day for conversation or prayer. Musicians will offer music as prayer at certain times. Additionally, there will be brief public prayer services at 8 am, 12 pm, and 5.30 pm led by clergy and laity. These non-partisan services will prayerfully ask for peace, wisdom, and compassion for one another, our community, our nation, and for Election Day.
Throughout the nation, the election has been a source of countless emotions. “There’s so much anxiety right now. Prayer can be a time to lay that burden down so that we can, with grace, take up the continuing work of loving our neighbors and pursuing healing together, no matter who wins,” added Hensley.
For more information on St. George’s Episcopal Church or on Election Day Prayer, please visit: StGeorgesEpiscopal.net or call 540.373.4133.
You are welcome at St. George’s, an historic Episcopal Church in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia. No matter who you are, whom you love, or where you’ve been, there’s a place for you here. St. George’s offers services with diverse music and styles of worship based in sacred story and traditions. We have hearts for service and advocate for justice and peace in our local and global communities. We work to help the entire family of God thrive by giving of our time, talent, and treasure. We invite you to join us or to come for a visit. For more information, visit StGeorgesEpiscopal.net.
Manassas City Public Schools face increased scrutiny over falling student performance and a contentious grading policy as the November election approaches. During a recent town hall hosted by Potomac Local News, candidates for the city’s school board and concerned residents discussed the troubling decline in Standards of Learning (SOL) scores and how the division’s grading practices may exacerbate the issue.
In the past year, SOL scores for Manassas students have significantly dropped, leaving the school division well below state averages. Two of the city’s schools, Osbourn High School and Metz Middle School, remain partially accredited under pandemic-era standards and struggle to meet performance benchmarks. Caitlyn Meisner, our Manassas Local Editor, covering the school board for Potomac Local News, has followed the downward trend closely since late 2023.
