Virginia Department of Elections says voting was mostly smooth process

Election day in Virginia was mostly a smooth process, with only a few hiccups throughout the day, according to Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Chris Piper.

More than 60% of the vote was counted by 8:45 p.m. with most counties expecting to report their numbers on time. However, Fairfax County, a Democratic stronghold with about one-third of its ballots counted so far, reported it expects delays.

A few localities that underestimated the voter turnout ran out of ballots, but Piper said the shortage was solved swiftly and voting went uninterrupted. Some of the additional ballots provided in those counties will need to be counted by hand, which Piper said could slow their counting process.

The department received reports some voters who did not wear face masks were initially turned away or forced to wait before casting a ballot, which went against department guidelines. Piper said the department immediately instructed the poll workers they must allow people to vote even if they refuse to wear a mask.

“We’ve been working for months to prepare for this election and we are proud for the work we have done," Piper said.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in an election to decide the next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and House of Delegates representatives. The state is still taking absentee ballots if they are postmarked by Tuesday or earlier. Those ballots can only be counted if the registrar receives them by noon on the third day following the election. Early voter turnout was higher than any previous governor's race, but lower than last year's presidential election.

So far, election results are showing Republican candidates with a lead in the three statewide races, but the races are still too close to call. According to recent polling, each statewide race is competitive and majority control in the House of Delegates is a tossup.

Voters are also choosing whether to give Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring a third term or opt for a change with Republican candidate Jason Miyares, who serves in the House of Delegates.

In the lieutenant governor’s race, Republican Winsome Sears and Democrat Hala Ayala are both vying to be the first woman to hold that role in state history.

For the down-ballot elections, Republicans are trying to reverse the state’s trend toward Democrats and the Democrats are trying to maintain control. Democrats hold a 55-45 majority in the House of Delegates, which means Republicans would need to flip five seats for an evenly divided House and six seats for control. Two years ago, Democrats flipped six seats to gain control from Republicans, but polls are showing that this year’s election is favorable to Republicans gaining some of the seats back and possibly regaining control.

Voters in many localities also had local races and referenda on their ballots, including county board elections, school board elections and bond referenda.