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Hanover voter registrar outlines readiness, security and early-voting plans ahead of November
Summary
Voter Registrar Terry Smithson reported a jump in registered voters to over 88,000 after redistricting, outlined early voting at the Wickham Building starting Sept. 20, described secure drop-box and chain-of-custody procedures, and stressed that Hanover has used paper ballots for three decades.
Terry Smithson, Hanover County’s voter registrar, told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 11 that the county is preparing for a heavy November turnout after redistricting and a steady rise in registration. "From when I started 14 years ago, our voter registration was around the 63,000 and right now we are over 88,000," Smithson said, adding that the county anticipates roughly 40,000 early-voting visits at the Wickham Building across the early-voting period.
Smithson explained how redistricting widens the range of district numbers citizens now see on ballots and urged residents to check their registration at elections.virginiaspelledout.gov. She outlined the county’s early-voting schedule: an early voting center opening Sept. 20 and all 36 polling places open 6 a.m.–7 p.m. on election day, with the Wickham Building staffed throughout the early-vote period.
On equipment and ballot security, Smithson emphasized Hanover’s long use of paper ballots. "We have had a paper ballot in Hanover County for 30 years," she said, tracing equipment changes from lever machines to optical scanners and, more recently, DS200 scanners. She described the chain-of-custody procedures for drop boxes (24-hour surveillance at the Welcome Building breezeway), bipartisan escort protocols for ballot collection, and training and situational-awareness requirements for more than 200 officers of election.
Smithson also detailed legal and interagency oversight: the county follows the Code of Virginia (cited as 24.2 in her remarks), the State Board of Elections, and national guidance including the Elections Assistance Commission and CISA. She said the county works closely with local law enforcement, FBI liaisons and homeland security partners to protect polling places and the counting process.
In response to a question from Supervisor Hudson about the per‑vote cost of expanded early voting, Smithson said local implementation of no‑excuse absentee voting is an "unfunded mandate" and offered to provide daily cost estimates to the board. She said costs vary by election and called 46 days of early voting in Virginia a driver of expense.
The presentation concluded with an offer to post the slides on the county website and a reminder to "vote early, please," from Smithson.
