VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Early voting numbers provided by election officials in Virginia Beach show that absentee and early voting numbers continue to become a more regular part of the election day process.
In 2020, the City of Virginia Beach recorded more than 3,200 votes cast as early in-person or absentee votes in that year's June Republican primary. When compared to figures from 2018, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, early and absentee voting accounted for less than 800 votes of that year's primary.
But according to Virginia Beach's Director of Elections Christine Lewis, there were 1,563 votes cast early in person, and 1,554 returned by mail-in as of Saturday. That's without counting the more than 1,500 ballots that have been sent out but not yet received as of Tuesday's primary.
“Seeing this kind of participation, it says that November will be a lot more as well because we don’t have these kinds of numbers for a primary," Laura Kane said, absentee ballot director for Virginia Beach.
In the June Republican Primary in 2020, more than 26,000 people voted in person.
As the largest city in Virginia's Second Congressional District, the city will be a major force in who wins the November election.
Tuesday night, the Associated Press called the Republican primary for candidate Jen Kiggans, the Virginia State Senator who will now challenge incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria.
Mailed-in ballots will still count as long as it is postmarked by the date of the June primary (June 21), and received by election officials on Friday, June 24.