Election season begins in Virginia

The presidential race is not the only election happening this year; elections for multiple U.S. and local government positions are also being held. Students can contribute to the local community by registering to vote in Lynchburg and educating themselves on the prospective candidates for the local and federal elections.

The Lynchburg City Council is holding elections for each of the four city wards, which are sections the city has been split into for representative and administrative purposes, according to the city’s official website. One candidate is elected to represent each ward. Which city council candidate students can vote for depends on the ward they live in.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, there are a total of eleven candidates running for city council, including Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi (R), who seeks to represent the 4th Ward. His opponents are April Watson (D) and Michelle Lee Harvey (I).

Candidates for the 3rd Ward are James E. Coleman Jr. (D) and Curt Diemer (R). On-campus students will be voting for one of these two candidates in the upcoming election. 

Candidates for the 2nd Ward are Rodney Lamont Hubbard (R), Sterling Allen Wilder (D) and Taormina Howard (I). 

Finally, Jacqueline Timmer (R) Randy Smith (D) and Cameron Howe (I) are competing for the 1st Ward.

Students can go to www.lynchburgva.gov and click on the Registrar department to find their polling place and candidates if they live off campus. Students who live on campus and are registered to vote locally should know they are in the 3rd Ward, 2nd Precinct. The polling place for students on campus is the Montview Alumni Ballroom.

Absentee voting by mail and early in-person voting began Sept. 20 and ends Nov. 2; the 2024 ballot drop box is now available at the registrar’s office as well. On Nov. 5, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to Virginia Department of Elections, unofficial results will be posted to its website the night of the election.

At the federal level, one spot on the U.S. Senate and all 11 spots in the U.S. House of Representatives are open for new faces or returning candidates seeking reelection. Sen. Tim Kaine (Democrat) is running for reelection in the general election for U.S. Senate Virginia against Republican Hung Cao, a retired U.S. Navy captain originally born in Vietnam. For more information on each of these candidates visit www.timkaine.com or www.hungforva.com.

The race for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives involves 22 candidates in total. The number of representatives for each state is based on population, with two candidates competing for each seat: one republican and one democrat. Students can find a list of who is running for each seat along with their party affiliation, basic contact information and websites at www.elections.virginia.gov.

Students who live on campus are in the 5th Congressional District and can vote for either Gloria Tinsley Witt (D-Lynchburg) or Virginia State Sen. John J. McGuire III (R-Manakin Sabot).

All facts of this story were accurate as of Sept. 23.

Barber is the off-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.