With only a week until Election Day, officials are encouraging voters who vote by absentee ballot to do so as soon as possible.
Voting in a timely manner is more important this year because of recent mail delays caused by the anthrax scare, said Rosanna Bencoach, senior policy analyst for the Virginia State Board of Electors.
Registrars and electoral board members in Northern Virginia especially have expressed concern about absentee ballots getting to electoral offices on time, Bencoach said.
"Those folks that are applying at a late date are the ones we have the most concern about," said Albemarle County General Registrar Jackie Harris.
Voters could expedite the first part of the voting process and avoid using the mail by faxing their applications for the absentee ballots, or having them faxed to them, Harris added. Ballots are also available for downloading off the Internet.
There is no way, however, to avoid using traditional mail service for the transmittal of the ballot itself.
Voter absentee ballot applications are available at www.sbe.state.va.us. Applications can be requested until 5 p.m. Thursday. All ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day- Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Those who are concerned about mail delays should allow extra time for their ballots to arrive at registrars' offices, said College Republican Chairman Adam Hatcher.
Or, "if you want to ensure your ballot is received in time, send it by priority mail," Hatcher said.
Also "when it is an option, we encourage people to come into our office and cast their vote in person," Harris said.
Those who want to vote early and in person can still do so until 5 p.m. Saturday.
This year, there has been "slower than normal absentee voting for a governor's election," Harris said.
Election officials have been "speculating" that less people are requesting a ballot because of a reluctance to travel after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she added.
Despite the recent tragedies, "we are getting ballots daily and quite a number of them," Harris said. "We haven't really seen much of a delay with what we have seen so far."
Even without unusual mail delays, "with a week to go before Election Day, I would be encouraging folks to vote in person if they are able to," Bencoach said. Voters who have not yet turned in their applications should fax them to their registrar, she said.
University Democrats President S. Mohsin Reza urged students to get absentee ballots and return them as soon as possible.
"It's an important election," Reza said. Especially because of the Florida controversies following the 2000 presidential election, "every aspect of this election is being carefully monitored."
"Every vote counts," he said.
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