YORK COUNTY, Va. — Roxanne Norman normally votes in person on Election Day. This year, she's voting absentee so she can continue to volunteer at the precinct she usually works at.
“Since I've moved, I have to vote at a different precinct, so to work on Election Day I have to vote absentee,” Norman said. “It's my right to vote, I don't want anyone to have my voice.”
She's one of thousands across Hampton Roads voting absentee. You had to request an absentee ballot by mail before 5 p.m. Friday night.
Director of Elections for York County Walt Latham said by Friday morning, more than 5,000 people had already mailed in or dropped off their ballots. The election office is still waiting on 2,629 ballots to be returned.
“A lot of people appreciate the convenience to be able to vote at home, and for some people it's a necessity,” Latham said.
There are currently 99,196 registered voters in Hampton. Hampton mailed out mailed out 15,858 ballots as of Friday morning. The number of people who have voted so far is 30,913: 21,807 of those votes were in person and 9,016 were voted ballots by mail.
There are 49,027 voters in York County. By Friday morning, 13,557 people had voted in person.
“This is election is most important because of the Black Lives Matter situation, healthcare, COVID-19...we need someone who cares about the people and not themselves,” Norman said.
Registered voters may vote early in-person until Saturday, Oct. 31.