By Heather Michon
Correspondent
In an era of heightened scrutiny around elections, Fluvanna County election officials held an informational session on Tuesday (Sept. 2) at the Fluvanna County Public Library to provide residents with an overview of the process and to tackle some questions and concerns.
“Every locality in Virginia follows the same laws, but how we carry them out can look very different,” said Scott Newman, chair of Fluvanna’s Electoral Board.
Stressing that the process of holding elections is meant to be nonpartisan and neutral, he cautioned, “We are not here to discuss our political views or to talk about things that may or may not have happened in other places, nor are we here to say what we like or don’t like about Virginia election law.”
Fluvanna’s Electoral Board is made up of three members—two appointed by the party of the current governor and one from the opposing party. Together with longtime Registrar Joyce Pace, the board oversees elections, hires poll workers, and ensures compliance with Virginia’s complex election laws.
Unlike many other states, Virginia holds elections annually, encompassing federal, state, and local races, as well as party primaries and occasional special elections to fill vacancies. Voters in Virginia are not registered by party and may choose to vote in any one party’s primary.
Virginia offers a range of voting methods, including absentee ballots, early in-person voting starting 45 days before an election, and same-day voter registration.
Voters can even pre-register starting at age 16, and 17-year-olds can vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election.
Pace said they regularly visit the high schools to make sure young voters have the information they need to register as soon as they are eligible.
Fluvanna uses the statewide VERIS voter registration database, which helps prevent duplicate registrations and updates records across counties and with other states.
Voters are removed from rolls only after not voting in two federal consecutive elections – approximately eight years – and after unsuccessful contact attempts by the registrar’s office.
Security: From Ballots to Machines
Election equipment in Fluvanna includes electronic poll books, ballot scanners, and assistive ballot-marking devices for voters with disabilities. Newman noted that none of these databases or devices is connected to the internet, a measure that significantly reduces vulnerability to cyberattacks.
Ballot scanners are designed to reject errors such as overvoting or photocopies. Before each election, all machines undergo state-mandated testing. “Security and accuracy are our top priorities,” said Pace, noting that Fluvanna also participates in annual state audits and has undergone recounts without incident.
Voters who encounter issues—such as arriving at the wrong precinct or lacking identification—may vote using a provisional ballot. These ballots are sealed, verified, and reviewed by the electoral board after Election Day. Only if eligibility is confirmed are they counted.
Asked how they verify that absentee and provisional ballots are legitimate, Newman explained the “the envelope itself is an affidavit. So when you fill it out and you sign it, you’re swearing that you are the person that received the balled and has marked the ballot.”
Election results are posted publicly and updated on election night. Though initially marked “unofficial,” they are later certified through a canvassing process that includes verification of vote counts and paperwork from each precinct.
Public Encouraged to Get Involved
Officials invited residents to consider becoming poll watchers or election officers, emphasizing that a well-run election depends on informed, neutral volunteers.
“We hope to never make the news,” said Newman. “Our goal is to make elections boring—in the best way possible.”
For more information, voters are encouraged to visit the Virginia Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal or the Fluvanna registrar’s website, where they can register to vote, check polling places, or view sample ballots.
