Registrar outlines ballot order, early-voting schedule and officer-approval changes ahead of November election

Harrisonburg’s general registrar presented detailed preparations for the Nov. 5 general election at the Sept. 8 Electoral Board meeting, reporting a ballot order of 26,195 and plans to mail roughly 800 absentee ballots by Sept. 18 and to begin early voting on Sept. 19.

“I have placed the November ballot order with PrintElect for 26,195 ballots total,” the registrar said, listing 800 absentee backup ballots and 24,300 election-day ballots while noting that print-on-demand ballots used during early voting are separate from that total.

Why it matters: The figures and schedules set by the registrar determine staffing, printing needs and logistics ahead of the governor’s and other high-turnout races. The office also outlined procedural changes intended to reduce legal risk when appointing officers of election and to speed onboarding.

Key operational points

- Absentee and ballots: The registrar said mailed absentee ballots and UOCAVA (overseas and military) ballots will go out on or before Sept. 18; absentee ballot processing and the first cap preprocessing are scheduled to begin Oct. 28.

- Early voting and staffing: Early voting will begin Sept. 19; the office plans three officers per shift for most days and four per shift during the final week of early voting to support same-day registration. Training for early-voting officers is scheduled for Sept. 16.

- Ballot-order rationale: The registrar said the office uses the registered-voter count at the time of the ballot order, subtracts known mail ballots and backup ballots, and generally orders a total equal to 100% of registered voters for high-turnout races.

- Officer approval process and paper trail: To avoid later disputes, the office proposed emailing party chairs a standard notice when new officer-of-election applicants appear; party chairs will be asked to respond by a deadline, and the absence of a response will be treated as no objection. “If we do not receive a response from you by this date, we will assume that you do not have an objection to this person representing your party,” the registrar said. The board agreed to test the process to speed onboarding and to create a documented record for later reference.

- Tabulator upgrade presentation: The office invited Tyler Links of PearlEx (tabulator vendor) to present upgrade options, with the board tentatively planning a presentation around Oct. 20.

- ADA compliance and site fixes: The registrar reviewed site-specific ADA remedies for polling places (Semmes, Stone Spring, Smithland, JMU, Waterman, Keister and Thomas Harrison); the board authorized completing and submitting the state’s ADA certification once the signatory (board member Sanders) and staff finalize the checklist.

- Election-day pages and outreach: The registrar and staff reported outreach to James Madison University’s democracy fellows and the JMU block party; they plan a pilot “election-day page” program with Harrisonburg City Public Schools to recruit under-18 volunteers for limited non-ballot duties on election day. The registrar said outreach has generated increased paper registration applications and interest from community groups and campus partners.

- Secure Virginia tabletop and security policies: The registrar participated in a state election-preparedness tabletop (Secure Virginia 2025) that included federal and state partners; the office will incorporate takeaways into local security planning and submitted a state-requested security letter in the format the Department of Elections now requires.

Ending: The board set forthcoming calendar items — L&A (logic and accuracy) on Oct. 20 at 1 p.m., early-voting start Sept. 19, and potential post-election canvass meetings in early November — and agreed to the registrar’s procedural updates and outreach plans. Routine meeting motions to approve the agenda and minutes and to adjourn were taken by voice vote.