Early voting in Virginia outpacing 2021, the last time statewide races were on the ballot

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Early voting is off to a hot start in Virginia. 

Data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) shows that over 35,000 Virginians have already cast their ballot through Sunday, Sept. 21, a 117% increase compared to the same time in 2021 -- the last time Virginia’s three statewide offices were on the ballot.

“The early vote is becoming more a regular part of our voting exercise, so it doesn't necessarily mean that people are voting who wouldn’t normally be voting, they just might be voting earlier in the process,” Randolph-Macon Political Science Professor Rich Meagher told 8News. 

Meagher said although the increase doesn’t tell us much about voter enthusiasm, it does tell us that many voters have made up their minds early in the process. 

“In this hyper-partisan environment that we are living in these days, a lot of folks don’t need to know anymore. They know who the Republicans are. They know who the Democrats are. They generally know what they stand for, and they’re ready to make their decision today,” Meagher explained. 

When you break it down by turnout in each House of Delegates district, Republicans appear to have a slight advantage. VPAP rated 11 of the 20 districts with the highest turnout through Sunday, as strong or leaning Republican. Meanwhile, only five districts in the top 20 are considered strongly Democratic. 

“Because we don’t know who these voters are, we just don’t know whether they’re Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, who they’re voting for or why, it’s a little harder to figure out what the story is,” Meagher told 8News. 

You can vote early at your local registrar’s office through November 1.