Since there is some heightened attention about Virginia recently, I thought I'd drop some info on you guys about how to get more involved. Virginia is critical: if Obama holds the Kerry states and keeps his big lead in Iowa, Virginia puts him over the top!
So if you're able to travel here -- especially if you live in the DC metro area or Tennessee or West Virginia or SE Kentucky -- please consider coming to Virginia to help out the ground game!
A lot of details below, but a quick and easy way to dive in is to visit the Obama for Virginia page or just show up at any of the many field offices.
- Registration deadline in October 9, so now is the time for the final stretch to register new voters. If you have friends or family in Virginia, help them make sure they're registered by guiding them through the Vote for Change page.
- Here's a FAQ for student voters registering in Virginia . Spread this info by email, Facebook, etc. to any Virginia college students you may know. And here's handy graphic courtesy of VBDems.
- There's no official "early voting" but in-person absentee voting is upon us! So encourage your Virginia friends and family to vote early if they are eligible (see the bottom of this diary for a rundown of these requirements). Here are some links to in-person voting locations and available times:
Fairfax (9/19 - 11/1)
Albermarle/Charlottesville (now - 11/1)
Arlington (9/22 - 11/1)
Alexandria (9/22 - 11/1)
Fredricksburg (approx. 10/6 - 11/1)
Lexington (9/22 - 11/1)
Virginia Beach (9/22 - 11/1)
- Or, if you know of someone that needs an absentee ballot by mail, click here for a form that can be mailed in or faxed to the local registrar office search for local office contact info here. The deadline to apply by mail or fax for an absentee ballot is October 28 at 5:00 pm and the deadline for the ballot to be received is Nov. 4th at 7:00 pm. (eligibility info at the end of this diary).
- If you'd like to check out some on-the-ground blogging, I recommend VBDems (covering Tidewater), RK (covering the whole Commonwealth with a focus on NOVA), Fred2Blue (covering the Fredericksburg area) ,and Richmond Democrat.
- Here's Obama's Drive For Change in Virginia page, where you can sign up to carpool or drive others to Virginia.
- Here's the Virginia Action Team for more grassroots opportunities -- joining this group will add you to a Google group that will email you with ways to get involved.
- If you're able to make it to Arlington, the Arlington Democrats are working hard on an 80/80 goal (80% turnout, 80% for Obama) which could deliver the Commonwealth to Obama. Their events page is here -- tons of opportunities.
- Events! Use the Obama map page to drill down to a specific areas you'd like to visit. Since the form requires you to enter a zip code, here are some from around the Commonwealth (full list here):
Arlington: 22201
Fairfax: 22181
Virginia Beach: 23454
Roanoke: 24042
Richmond: 23286
Charlottesville: 22901
Bristol: 24202
- Near-by attorneys: Sign up for Virginia voter protection! I've heard that they've got a great surge of volunteers, but they could always use more.
Okay, that should keep you all busy until election day! Let's turn Virginia blue.
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Absentee requirements:
Here's a simplified list of people eligible to vote absentee (if you think you or someone you know qualfies, please look at the full description and call the local registrar with any questions):
- those who will be "absent" from their locality (vacation, business, military, students, in jail awaiting trial or for a misdemeanor);
- spouse or dependent of absentee military;
- those with unable to vote in person due to disability, illness or pregnancy;
- any voting officials;
- those who must care for an ill or disabled family member confined at home;
- anyone with religious conflicts;
- anyone who will be at work/commuting for 11 or more hours while polls are open (6 am to 7 pm).
However, those who have registered for the first time this year and did so by mail must vote in person (either in-person absentee or at the polls on election day) unless the voter is a full time college student, absent active duty military, residing overseas, physically handicapped, age 65 or over (however, they must also list a qualifying reason for voting absentee, as age itself does not qualify a voter for an absentee ballot), or voting a "presidential only" ballot (which you can request).