Special Edition: Only 20 Days Left to Make a Difference in Virginia

Hi there. It’s Amie.

No, it’s not Friday. But y’all have been so kind to me lately (well, always, but especially over the past few weeks) with your questions and comments that I wanted to share something I think you’ll find really valuable. Hence, a quick mid-week newsletter centered around the upcoming election. Besides, Election Day (Nov. 7) is in less than three weeks.

Casting a ballot is one of the largest ways to have an impact on your community—and on the commonwealth as a whole. Elected positions range from local government officials and school board members all the way up to the president. While we won’t be picking POTUS this time around, all 140 state House and Senate seats are up for grabs this year.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to vote during a non-presidential election, you’re not alone. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, just over 3 million Virginians voted in 2022, which helped determine the makeup of the US House of Representatives. Compare that to 2020, when over 4.4 million Virginians turned out to vote for the future president. If you think that your vote doesn’t make a difference in a non-presidential year, I encourage you to think again. Remember, current Democratic candidate Joshua Cole lost the seat by less than 1,000 votes in a difficult off-year election.

If you’re hoping to make a difference in your community, voting for a candidate who aligns with your values is a great way to make a meaningful impact.

Amie Knowles

Community Editor, Dogwood

Virginia’s key 2023 voting deadlines:

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is
Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. The request must be received by your local voter registration office by 5 p.m.
Early Saturday voting at your local voter registration office begins Oct. 28, 2023.
The last day to vote early in-person is Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, by 5 p.m.
The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m.

Voting in Virginia? Here’s What You Need to Know

Yes, Virginia, you can still register and vote in the 2023 elections

Virginia’s voter registration deadline has passed, but if you missed it and still want to cast your ballot in this year’s elections, you can still do so.

Many Virginians are voting early. Here’s how you can, too

The ability to vote in the 45 days before Election Day has only been available for three years, and this is the first time voters have been able to cast these early ballots for members of the House of Delegates and the state Senate.

Virginia Democrats demand investigation into illegal voter roll purges

Following news that at least 275 Virginians were illegally removed from voter rolls, the commonwealth’s representatives in Washington are demanding an investigation into the Youngkin administration’s Department of Elections.

How Virginia Democrats made early voting simple and secure

Early voting in Virginia’s legislative elections kicked off on Friday, Sept. 22, and hundreds of thousands of Virginia voters are expected to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. Early voting in the commonwealth is convenient and simple, but it was not always so. And depending on which political party controls the General Assembly next year, it may not always be.

Getting to Know the Candidates

What drives Michael Feggans in his campaign for the Virginia House

In Hampton Roads-area House District 97, Democratic challenger Michael Feggans is taking on GOP incumbent Del. Karen Greenhalgh. Greenhalgh has spent her last couple of legislative sessions trying to undermine abortion access in the commonwealth, while Feggans is an Air Force veteran who says that his top issue in the legislature will be reproductive health, followed closely by supporting education.

What drives Joshua Cole in his campaign for the Virginia House

In Fredericksburg-area House District 65, former Democratic Del. Joshua Cole is looking to return to the legislature after serving from 2019 until 2021, when he lost the seat by less than 1,000 votes in a difficult off-year election.

Candidates’ abortion rights stances clear divide in key Fredericksburg-area House race

Two candidates in a key Fredericksburg-area Virginia House seat faced off recently in a lively debate that brought Republican Lee Peters’ views on banning abortion to the forefront. In the forum with Democratic candidate Josh Cole, Peters committed to the 15-week ban and seemed to question whether everyone is actually interested in “women’s rights.”

Care about preventing gun violence? This VA Senate race may have a big impact

The National Rifle Association, which is headquartered in Virginia and known for opposing gun safety proposals, has released its candidate grades and endorsements in Virginia’s state Senate races. Of interest is one GOP candidate in a key northern Virginia district who not only earned an A, but also boasts the NRA’s endorsement.

Key Issues at Stake

Poll: Virginia elections extremely close as schools, reproductive rights hang in balance

The future of Virginians’ reproductive rights and public schools are in the balance in November’s elections, and a new University of Mary Washington poll shows control of the state’s General Assembly is coming down to the wire. The new poll’s toplines give Democrats a slight edge among registered voters—40% say they want a Democratic legislative majority and 37% prefer a Republican one—but when looking at “likely” voters, partisan control preference is evenly split at 42% each.

What’s at stake for Virginians’ wallets in November

Virginia’s November elections will not only determine which political party controls state government, but also how state money gets spent—and who it helps and hurts.

New Virginia poll shows voters don’t trust Republicans on abortion

Just weeks before Virginians go to the polls to elect the next General Assembly, Data for Progress has released new polling in the state’s most competitive legislative districts that illustrates voters’ lack of trust in Republicans on the issue of reproductive rights.

‘Take the politics out of reading’: School board candidates oppose book bans as distractions

Almost 400 books have been subject to ban efforts this year in Virginia, according to the American Library Association – about double the number book bans attempted last year, which itself was twice as many as had been challenged in 2021. Some candidates for local school boards are concerned that parents’’ and students’ rights are being overlooked by groups pushing book bans that censor what they read.

Have you voted already? Reply back to this email and tell me what issues informed your vote! We’d love to know about our subscribers and the topics they feel the strongest about.

This email is written by Amie Knowles, community editor at Dogwood, lifelong Virginia resident, and mom to a fantastic five-year-old who loves monster trucks.
Have a question or comment? Reply back to this email!