Prince William County Prepares for April 21 Special Election and Redistricting Referendum

After two local elections in January and March, the Office of Elections is gearing up for a statewide special election on April 21. This election puts forward a referendum on a proposed amendment that would allow the Virginia General Assembly to conduct off-schedule congressional redistricting ahead of this November’s federal midterm election. The ballot for this election will have only one question, to which voters will vote “yes” or “no.” Voters are encouraged to research this ballot measure to make sure they are fully informed about the issue. 

Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia's standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census? 

​Early voting continues through April 18 with Election Day happening from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 21. Voters who would like to participate in this election can choose one of the following options: 

Early Voting 

From now through April 10, early voting is only available at the main office on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. On Saturday, April 11, five additional polling locations will open across the county and will operate every day until April 18, expanding early voting opportunities both in the number of available locations and the days of operation. Prince William County voters may vote at any early voting location most convenient for them. A wait-time module to assist voters with planning their trip to the early voting sites is available at pwcvotes.org. 

Mail Voting

Mail voting is an increasingly popular voting method among Prince William County voters. Voters may request a mail ballot online or by contacting the Office of Elections. All requests for this election must be made by 5 p.m. on April 10. Before sealing their ballot into its green return envelope, voters should carefully read and fill out all the required fields and signature lines to ensure their ballot is counted without issue. 

Voters also have several options to return their mail ballot including using USPS or a commercial mail service like UPS, FedEx or DHL, or bringing it in-person to drop boxes at early voting locations or Election Day polling places. Ballots must be postmarked or dropped off by April 21. If returning a ballot through USPS or a commercial mail service, voters should confirm with the staff at that place of business that their ballot will be postmarked by Tuesday, April 21, and delivered to the Office of Elections by noon on April 24. 

Voting on Election Day

A total of 103 polling places will open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 21 for voters’ last chance to cast their votes on the redistricting referendum. On Election Day, voters must go to their assigned polling location to vote. The Virginia Department of Elections has created a useful tool for voters to find that assigned polling location – the only information they need to know is their registered address. It is important to know their assigned polling place as it may not always be the school or polling location that is closest to their residence. 

Those who miss the April 14 deadline to register may still vote using same-day registration. This allows voters to fill out a provisional ballot along with their registration information, allowing them to cast a ballot once the information is confirmed and processed into Virginia’s voter database. 

The Office of Elections has mailed an official voter guide to all residential addresses in Prince William County. For more information on requirements, deadlines, voting methods, locations, dates and times, please visit pwcvotes.org.