Voters Services

League of Women Voters^®
of Arlington

Virginia Electoral Board. LWV-US 411 site. Jail. Support. Legislative Guide.

Link for Virginia Electoral Board

Please click this link provided by the Virginia Electoral Boards to ascertain your current Precinct. Verify the address of the polling place to which you are assigned.

Link LWV-US 411 site

Click LWVUS website - easy-to-use, non-partisan website for election information. Provides a polling-place locator, general and state-specific information throughout the United States.

Voter Service Meets Felons' Rights

By Bonnie Franklin

This year, the League responded to a last-minute request to help register inmates in the County Jail on October 4. For five busy hours, League members Barbara Sherrill and Bonnie Franklin worked with Madolyn Keller, Outreach Coordinator for the Arlington County Office of Voter Registration, and Betty Ahern, a regular volunteer at the jail. Under escort, the group visited each of the units in the jail. After all the prisoners in a unit had gathered in the unit's common area, Madolyn explained our mission and the rules: You can register in Virginia if you are a citizen, age 18 on election day, and not a convicted felon or certified as crazy. Convicted felons can register and vote in DC; Maryland allows registration and voting with a single felony conviction. Those who were qualified and interested remained behind as others returned to their cells.
We then distributed forms, provided assistance, and collected registrations and requests for absentee ballots for several jurisdictions in Virginia, including Arlington, and for DC, Maryland, and an occasional other state or two. Some of the inmates were expecting to be out of jail by Election Day and declined the absentee ballot request. This activity was an eye opener in view of the League's current study and consideration of the Civil Rights of Felons in Virginia. I had not been aware that DC has no voting restrictions on felons and that Maryland puts restrictions on only if there is more than one felony. Even though we did not get a count of our activity, it certainly seemed that we collected more registrations for DC and Maryland than we got for Virginia. It was a hands-on lesson of the impact of public policy on the lives of individuals.

Chair Reports

By Ann Garrison, Voters Service Chair
Twenty-five members of the LWV of Arlington staffed 11 voter registration tables over 7 weeks. Through the month of September, we had a table at Central Library on Tuesday evenings, Shirlington Library on Saturday afternoons and were represented at the Moran Women's Forum, as well as the El Salvador Sister City Celebration at Central Library.

Over 75 voter registration forms were turned in to the Registrar's office and many questions were answered, especially regarding absentee voting and items on the ballot. Our effort focused on informing voters that there would be a choice of voting machines (electronic or scantron) at each polling place and encouraging eligible voters to consider absentee voting to avoid expected long lines. Our League helped sponsor a Candidates Forum with AAUW on Oct. 6 and many members assisted and were in attendance.

Thank you to all the members who supported these efforts and many who participated at several events. And now, most importantly, go vote and encourage others to do so!

2008-2009 General Assembly Legislative Directory

The Virginia General Assembly Legislative Directory can be seen here or at Arlington libraries, published by the LWV-VA Education. Fund!

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: November 19, 2008 11:56 PST.