Alexandria heads into Election Day with more than 22,800 early votes already cast — polls open tomorrow at 6 a.m.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Early voting is over. Election Day is tomorrow. And Alexandria is heading into the April 21 special election having already seen strong early turnout for a contest with two very different races on the ballot.

According to the city's election dashboard, updated through Sunday, 22,892 Alexandrians cast ballots during the early voting period — 16,163 in person and 6,729 by mail. That represents roughly 22.3% of the city's 102,597 active registered voters before a single Election Day ballot has been cast. An additional 3,193 mail-in ballots have been sent out but not yet returned — those must be postmarked by tomorrow and received by the Office of Voter Registration by noon Friday, April 24, to be counted.

The final Saturday of early voting, April 18, was the single busiest day of the entire early voting period by a wide margin. A total of 2,351 people voted in person — nearly 50% more than April 11, the first Saturday extended hours were offered, when 1,545 turned out. The surge suggests that weekend access drove meaningful participation that weekday-only voting would have missed.

Fifty-six ballots have been flagged as needing a cure. Voters in that situation should contact the Office of Voter Registration immediately at 703-746-4050.

The bigger picture: a statewide race with national stakes

While Alexandria's city council contest has driven local interest, the redistricting referendum on tomorrow's ballot carries consequences that extend well beyond the city.

The proposed constitutional amendment would give the Democratic-majority General Assembly temporary power to redraw Virginia's 11 congressional districts ahead of November's midterm elections. According to the Associated Press, if enacted, Democrats could gain the upper hand in 10 of those 11 districts — a potential net pickup of four seats in a closely divided U.S. House, where a handful of races could determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of President Trump's term.

The amendment is a direct response to mid-decade redistricting by Republican-controlled legislatures in other states, most notably Texas. Gov. Abigail Spanberger and former President Barack Obama have endorsed the yes vote. Former Republican governors Glenn Youngkin and George Allen oppose it.

Statewide, nearly 1.2 million ballots had already been cast as of Friday — roughly 80% of the total advance votes cast in the entire 2025 gubernatorial election, according to the AP. Alexandria, which has voted Democratic in every recent statewide race by wide margins, is expected to favor the amendment.

The ballot question reads: "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?"

The local race

Three candidates are competing for the city council seat vacated when Kirk McPike resigned in January to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates: Democratic nominee Sandy Marks, and independents Frank Fannon and Alison Virginia O'Connell. There is no Republican in the race. The winner will serve through Dec. 31, 2027.

The Alexandria Brief has spoken with all three candidates. Full conversations are available as video, audio and transcript below.

Three candidates, three visions for Alexandria City Council — here’s where they stand

Early voting begins Friday. Here’s what the Alexandria Brief learned from conversations with all three candidates this week.

THE ALEXANDRIA BRIEFRyan Belmore

Frank Fannon wants to bring balance back to the Alexandria City Council

The independent candidate and former council member sat down with the Alexandria Brief Tuesday ahead of early voting, which begins Friday.

THE ALEXANDRIA BRIEFRyan Belmore

Sandy Marks wants to keep Alexandria City Council moving forward

The Democratic nominee sat down with the Alexandria Brief Tuesday ahead of early voting, which begins Friday.

THE ALEXANDRIA BRIEFRyan Belmore

Alison Virginia O’Connell wants a further-left voice on Alexandria City Council

The independent candidate is running on housing affordability, ethical investment, and getting ICE out of the city.

THE ALEXANDRIA BRIEFRyan Belmore

Tomorrow: What you need to know

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. You must be in line by 7 p.m. to vote. Four precincts have moved for this election — voters should confirm their polling place at vote.elections.virginia.gov before heading out.

Voters in the former Blessed Sacrament precinct will now vote at North Quaker, 1801 N. Quaker Lane. The former City Hall precinct moves to Lyles Crouch School, 530 S. St. Asaph St. — follow signs for Old Town South. The former George Mason School precinct relocates to Trinity Church, 2911 Cameron Mills Road. And the former View Alexandria precinct votes at Hope Way, 2800 Hope Way.

Virginia requires photo identification. A Virginia driver's license, U.S. passport, employer photo ID or student ID are all acceptable. Voters without acceptable ID may sign an ID Confirmation Statement and vote a regular ballot.

Same-day registration is still available tomorrow. Voters who register on Election Day will cast a provisional ballot, which will not appear in unofficial results election night but will be verified and counted in the official tally.

When to expect results

Polls close at 7 p.m. Unofficial results will begin posting on the Virginia Department of Elections website shortly after. The Alexandria Brief will report results as they come in.

Complete election information is available at alexandriava.gov/Elections or by calling 703.746.4050.