As election day approaches many have already cast ballots
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By WILLIAM PAINE
Patriot Publishing
Election Day in Virginia is officially Tuesday, Nov. 4, but early voting has been in effect for several weeks and many of Virginia’s 6,302,486 registered voters have already cast their ballots.
The 2025 Virginia election will determine who will become Virginia’s Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General for the next four years, as well as which party will control Virginia’s General Assembly.
According to Radford Registrar Lindsey Williams, as of Monday Oct. 27, citizens cast 1,207 in-person early votes since early voting began on Sept. 19. Counting mail in, absentee ballots and in-person early votes, by Monday a total of 1,417 votes had been cast for the 2025 election in Radford.
In the last Gubernatorial election in 2021, 1,035 votes had been cast at this point in the voting process.
“We’re up 400 early votes, compared to four years ago,” said Williams.
According to Pulaski County Registrar Leann Phillips, 2,849 citizens voted early in-person plus 872 mail in ballots for a total of 3,721 early votes cast as of Monday Oct. 27, 2025.
On the last Monday of early voting before the 2021 Gubernatorial election, a total of 2,243 Pulaski County citizens had voted in-person and by mail.
That represents a major jump in early voting in Pulaski County and potentially a higher percentage of Pulaski County voters turning out to vote compared to the 2021 election. A total of 4,223 early votes were cast in the 2021 election, whereas 3,721 early votes have already been cast eight days before next Tuesday’s Nov. 2, 2025, general election.
Who is on the ballot?
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears is running for Governor on the Republican ticket against former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, who is running as a Democrat.
Richmond based radio host John Reid is the Republican running for Lieutenant Governor. His Democratic opponent, Ghazala Hashmi, is currently serving as a Virginia state senator.
Republican Jason Miyares is running to retain his position as Virginia’s Attorney General. Miyares is running against Democrat Jay Jones, who once served as a delegate in the General Assembly.
Voters residing in and near the Town of Pulaski will be voting in the 46th District and will choose between Republican Mitchell D. Cornett, a county supervisor in Grayson County and Democrat Jamie R. Hendry of Smyth County. District 46 encompasses all of Wythe, Smyth and Grayson Counties and part of Pulaski County. There are 7,942 registered voters in the 46th district of northwest Pulaski County. Republican Jed Arnold currently holds this seat but is not running for re-election.
The Town of Dublin is having a special election to fill two vacant seats on Town Council. Councilman Stephan Crigger stepped down and Councilwoman Debbie Lyons left her post to become Mayor of Dublin. Jared M. Smith and P. Douglas Smith are running unopposed for the vacant seats. Both are running as Independents and will again be up for election on Nov. 3, 2026. Both of their terms expire on Dec. 31, 2026.
The 16,385 registered voters in Pulaski County’s District 42 can choose between incumbent Republican Delegate Jason Ballard of Pearisburg or Democrat Biko Agozino, a Nigerian born sociology professor at Virginia Tech. The 42nd District encompasses part of Montgomery and Pulaski Counties, as well as all of Giles County and the City of Radford, which has 9,688 registered voters.
The last day for early in-person voting is Saturday, Nov. 1. The Voter Registration Office at 87 Commerce Street, Pulaski will be open from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. for this purpose. There is also a ballot drop box at Pulaski’s Voter Registration Office.
Polling places in Pulaski County are as follows: Riverlawn Elementary School, Snowville Elemenary School, Pulaski Elementary School, NRV Fairgrounds, Dublin Lions Club, Belspring Fire Department, Draper Fire Department, Hiwassee Fire Department and Pulaski’s Central Gym.
Citizens of Radford can cast their early votes at the Radford City office of Elections at 619 Second St., Room 143. There is also a ballot drop box inside the door of the courthouse at this location.
The City of Radford has four seats up for election but only two will be contested. Democrat Chris E. Rehak, who currently serves as Radford’s Commonwealth Attorney, is running unopposed, as is Republican Mark. R. Armentrout, who currently serves as Sheriff.
Democrat Kelsey Renee Marletta is running against Republican Angel H. Turpin for Radford’s Commissioner of Revenue, while Democrat Joy M. Morrison is running against Republican Tracy A. Trump for Treasurer of the city.
Polling places in Radford are as follows:
Precinct 1 – East Radford, Rec Center, 500 George Street
Precinct 2 – Central, 1st Baptist Church, 555 Rock Road West
Precinct 3 – West, Compassion Church, 1820 Second Street
Precinct 4 – New River, Grove United Methodist Church, 1020 Tyler Avenue
All mailed Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before election day and returned to the Radford City Office of Elections by noon to be counted.
Same-day voter registration is allowed but these ballots will be considered provisional and if accepted by the electoral board, will be counted after the election. Last year’s election saw 545 voters choose same-day registration in Radford. According to Lindsey Williams, that was more registration changes than occurred from January through October of 2024.
All mailed absentee voted ballots must be postmarked on or before election day to be accepted. Mailed ballots must be received by the general registrar’s office before noon Friday, Nov. 7 to be counted. By law, all absentee ballots must be either returned in person or postmarked by Election Day (Nov. 4) to be counted. Mailed ballots must be received by the general registrar’s office before noon Friday, Nov. 7 to be counted.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. till 7 p.m. on election day. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Note: an ID is required to vote in Virginia.