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Spotsylvania supervisors remove outdated address and adopt 10300 Spotsylvania Avenue as satellite early-voting site
Summary
The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted June 26 to strike an outdated early-voting address from county code and to adopt 10300 Spotsylvania Avenue, Suite 101, as a new satellite office for early voting; the change will be re-advertised and submitted to the Virginia Attorney General for a certificate of no objection.
On June 26, 2024, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted to remove an outdated address from county code and to adopt 10300 Spotsylvania Avenue, Suite 101, as a county-leased satellite office for early (absentee) voting.
Deputy County Attorney Susan Cook told the board the item involves two separate decisions: strike an address the county no longer leases (listed in the ordinance as 4924 Southpointe Parkway) and, second, establish a second satellite location at a county-leased facility. Cook said a typographical error in the notice listed “Parkway” rather than the correct “Avenue,” and recommended the board adopt the corrected address tonight so staff can re-advertise and submit the change to the Virginia Attorney General’s Office for a certificate of no objection, a review that can take up to 60 days.
Kelly Akers, the county registrar, described operational challenges tied to Virginia’s 45-day early-voting period. Akers said the office faces sustained logistical demands — security, audits, ballot-on-demand by precinct, staffing and limited parking — and that changing locations has repeatedly confused voters. “We’re not gonna turn someone away, we’re gonna help them vote,” Akers said, describing plans to use rear entrances, dedicated curbside spaces and signage to reduce impacts on co-located businesses and to direct traffic away from storefronts.
Several residents urged a stable, accessible location. Dave Guzman, a Berkeley District precinct chief, said the proposed Spotsylvania Avenue site offers better parking and easier in-and-out access than previous sites. Bob Martin, chair of the county electoral board, said a frequent complaint is that early-voting sites ‘‘keep switching around’’ and that a consistent site would reduce confusion for voters.
On formal action, the board first voted to strike the outdated address from county code §7-89; that motion passed unanimously (6–0). The board then voted to adopt 10300 Spotsylvania Avenue, Suite 101, as the satellite early-voting location. That motion passed with five yes votes; Ms. Hayes was recorded as the lone no vote. The board noted that adopting the corrected address tonight does not eliminate required procedures: staff will re-advertise with the corrected address, return in August to affirm the notice, and submit the change to the Virginia Attorney General’s Office for a certificate of no objection before the change is finalized.
The board also discussed outreach steps to reduce confusion, including mailing postcards to households announcing the location and working with local media. The clerk announced the next Board of Supervisors meeting for July 9 at 5 p.m.; the board adjourned after the votes.
What happens next: staff will re-advertise the corrected address, submit the change to the Virginia Attorney General’s Office for review (up to 60 days), and return to the board in August to confirm the address after proper notice.
