Politics & Government

Mount Vernon Residents Voice Concern Over Proposed Election Precinct Changes

Under proposed boundary plan, selected precincts in the Mount Vernon District would be divided.

Concerned residents met at the Mount Vernon Government Center Wednesday night for a community forum about proposed precinct boundary changes in the Mount Vernon District.

Supervisor Gerry Hyland and Edgardo Cortes from the Fairfax County Office of Elections led a discussion about precinct boundary changes as a result of the state redistricting process.

The General Assembly has finalized state delegate and senate lines pending review by the Department of Justice.

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While , district supervisors have the power to determine their own districts and draw those boundaries. 

“We’re trying to get the precinct lines to be a little more in line with district boundaries because once again, it reduces the number of ballot styles sent out to a precinct,” Cortes said of the proposed changes.

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“[We are] at the earliest possible point in the process,” said Supervisor Hyland. “It gives those a chance to have input before the public hearing process begins.”

Currently, there are 26 precincts in the Mount Vernon District. The proposed changes would keep the number of precincts at 26. However, the Hollin Hall precinct would be eliminated and a new precinct would be added, an idea that was met with opposition from concerned residents.

“You’re not going to have support in the community to change the Hollin Hall precinct,” said Supervisor Hyland. “Of all the precincts in Mount Vernon, people have the opportunity to walk [to the polling place]. Percentage-wise we have a lot of seniors there, if they had to move to Waynewood or Sherwood have to go a considerably longer distance there.”

However, if the Hollin Hall precinct stays as is, voters in the precinct would be offered two different ballots, said Cortes.

Under the proposed plan, the Woodley precinct would be divided in half, and a new precinct, Riverside, would send its voters to Riverside Elementary School. This idea was met with opposition from locals who say that voter confusion in the Whitman and Woodley precincts was already an issue that didn’t need to be worsened by the creation of a new precinct.

“We already have voter confusion,” said resident Karen Stallings. “To have a new precinct with 800 people doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It doesn’t make sense to have three polling places within walking distance from each other.”

One resident suggested that the Office of Elections change the name of Whitman precinct to Riverside to clear voter confusion.

The Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposed changes at the end of July. Any changes in precinct boundaries will not be valid until the general election in November. The primary elections on August 23rd will use current precinct boundaries. For a summary of these changes, see the attached PDF file. 


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