Category: Uncategorized

Updates on the redistricting commission!

Virginia’s nonpartisan redistricting commission is moving quickly. They’ve already gotten and posted proposed maps for House of Delegates and State Senate districts from both Republican and Democratic consultants, which you can see courtesy of the ever-commendable Virginia Public Access Project. Maps for national Congressional districts are coming soon.

Here’s a quick rundown on how those maps shake out thus far:

  • The maps we’ve had since 2011 slice Albemarle into four chunks.
  • The Republican consultant wants to carve Albemarle up into three House of Delegates districts: one solidly Dem, one solidly GOP, and one theoretically competitive. This plan certainly seems to violate the Commission’s guidelines for redistricting, which include keeping communities and political subdivisions together.
  • The Democratic consultant wants to divide Albemarle into two districts, one solidly Democratic, and one narrowly Democratic (and likely competitive). This proposal does a much better job of giving Albemarle fair representation in the House of Delegates.
  • Both consultants propose a solidly Democratic state Senate district that incorporates Albemarle, though each suggests different boundaries.
We’ll have more info on the new maps next week. For now, check out the new maps at VPAP, learn more about those maps via the “Plan Lookup” section on VPAP’s site, and send the Commission public comments on the plans. (Something seems a bit funky with the Commission’s website when we test that last link, but hopefully, it’ll be fixed by the time this reaches your inbox.)

And buckle up, ’cause things are gonna move fast: The commission has to send maps to the General Assembly by Oct. 10.

33rd Annual BBQ – Sunday October 2

Please join us on Sunday, October 2 from 3 – 6 pm at the Pen Park Shelters for our 33rd annual Democratic BBQ!

Join us for a great time with your Democratic neighbors and candidates!

Vegetarian options are available!

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. $10 for students. Kids under 6 are free. You can purchase ONLINE or by check to P.O. Box 5698, Charlottesville, VA 22905.

Bad weather cancels – no refund as your ticket purchase supports our Dem candidates in forthcoming elections!

For More Information: Chair@albemarledems.org/434.260.1592

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Get ready to vote in the June 8th Virginia Democratic primary!

Voting by mail

If you want to vote by mail, request a mail-in ballot in print or online.

*The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is this Friday, May 28, at 5 p.m. Your request must reach the registrar by this time.

Voting early

If you want to vote early in person, then visit the Albemarle County Office Building. You can cast your ballot there any weekday and the next two Saturdays (May 29 and June 5) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wondering where your requested ballot is?

We’re hearing that they’re sometimes taking a little longer than expected to arrive. If you asked for a ballot, check the Virginia Citizen Portal to confirm that the registrar got your request. You can also track the ballot using Ballot Scout.

Avoid traffic by voting early!

Though turnout on June 8th is expected to be light thanks to mail-in and early voting, consider voting early to avoid traffic at polling places on voting day. Schools will be in session and there could be heavy traffic at polling places. Here’s a chart of the peak traffic times at polling places.

Have more questions?

We’ve got all the answers, and we have easy-to-follow video guides in English and Spanish that you can find at our Virginia Voter Guide.