NORFOLK, Va. — Early voting continues at Norfolk City Hall as Virginia voters prepare for next week's election, with the governor's race among the most closely watched contests on the ballot.
I'm at Norfolk City Hall where voters are taking advantage of early voting opportunities ahead of Election Day on November 4. With just over a week remaining, many are choosing to cast their ballots now to avoid potential crowds.
"With this economy and everything going on and voting when you can as soon as you can is the best policy," said one Norfolk voter.
Voters have until November 1, to cast their ballots early, and many are coming out specifically to beat the Election Day rush.
Another voter says, "I prefer to come out without the crowd and just go ahead and vote and get it over with."
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, as of October 26, more than 971,000 Virginians have already voted early compared to about 676,000 at the same point ahead of the gubernatorial election in 2021.
Dr. Eric Claville, a Norfolk State University professor and legal and political analyst, said economic concerns are driving much of the early voting activity.
"Economics of everything that's happening economics is really one of the major issues you see playing a part in the early voting here in the commonwealth but also for this election," Claville said.
He emphasized how economic and national policy issues like the government shutdown and increased immigration enforcement are top of mind for many voters this year, influencing turnout and shaping early voting patterns.
"This election is really going to tell the tale of how voters feel nationwide. Not just in Virginia but as Virginia goes so does the rest of the country," Claville said.
Early voting continues until November 1. Voters who miss the early voting deadline can still cast their ballot on Election Day, November 5, at their local polling location.
