Early voting begins in Virginia: Senate seat, congressional race and proposed amendments on the ballot

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Early voting begins Friday across Virginia ahead of the November 3 election.

Virginians will decide a U.S. Senate seat, a competitive congressional race, and three ballot initiatives tied to reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, and the restoration of rights for people who have served their sentences.

CBS 6 Political Analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said he expects Democratic Sen. Mark Warner to hold his Senate seat comfortably, pointing to national Republican defensive positioning and limited spending on that race.

The race drawing the most attention and money, Holsworth said, is Virginia's 1st Congressional District, where Republican incumbent Rob Wittman faces Democrat Shannon Taylor.

"Since Donald Trump got elected for the second time, we've seen an increase in Democratic enthusiasm. And at least right now, a lot of the polls are showing that the Republicans are not as enthusiastic at all. But at the same time, let us take a look at the Rob Whitman, Shannon Taylor race, we're seeing enormous sums of money being spent by Republican candidates as well in these instances, and maybe that'll help to overcome some of the enthusiasm gap that they're facing," Holsworth said.

While Wittman has won the seat comfortably in past elections, Democrats are pointing to Abigail Spanberger carrying the district during the gubernatorial race as a sign of shifting momentum.

Voters in Chesterfield County, as well as some other places, like Richmond, will also weigh in on a proposed 1% sales tax increase to fund school construction. Holsworth said the measure may not be the easy "yes" it might appear.

"Usually, if you put schools on the ballot, everybody says yes. At the same time, there's a lot of frustration in some of these places. You're seeing, let's say in Chesterfield County, a lot of frustration about the data centers and people saying, 'well, let them pay. Why do we have to pay an extra tax?' So we're gonna be looking at that and see how the public responds," Holsworth said.

Holsworth also predicted high voter turnout for the November election.

To register to vote or check your status online, go here. Or, learn more here.

Virginia law requires all registered voters to show one acceptable ID to vote in person. For a detailed list of acceptable IDs, click here. If you get to your polling place without acceptable ID, you can sign an ID Confirmation Statement or vote a provisional ballot. You will need to submit a copy of a valid ID by noon the Friday after the election. You will be given instructions on what to do so your vote can count.

For more information on acceptable IDs, or any other questions, contact or visit your nearest Virginia Voter Registration Office or email info@elections.virginia.gov.

You can look up polling addresses using Polling Place Lookup.

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