King and Queen Electoral Board authorizes registrar to set precinct ballot orders, finalizes early-voting schedule for Aug. 4 primary

The King and Queen County Electoral Board on May 11 unanimously approved a motion authorizing Kristy Creech, the county’s general registrar, to determine precinct-specific numbers of ballots to order for the Virginia Statewide Primary on Aug. 4, 2026.

The action, taken during a regular meeting at the Office of the Electoral Board and General Registrar in King and Queen Court House, also finalized the county’s early in-person voting schedule and reviewed operational steps including Logic & Accuracy (L&A) testing and a new post-election scanning requirement set by recent legislative changes.

Board chair Stuart Swilley called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and the minutes from the April 14 meeting and two post-election canvass sessions were read and approved. The board then considered preparations for the statewide primary, with General Registrar Kristy Creech outlining key dates and logistics.

L&A testing for the county’s voting equipment is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, in the hearing room of the King and Queen County General District Courthouse. Creech said she will notify the county Democratic and Republican party chairs of the testing date. Early in-person voting will begin Thursday, June 18, 2026; the registrar noted June 19 is a federal holiday and will not be used for in-person voting.

Creech briefed the board on mandatory changes to early in-person voting established in 2026 legislation, which require jurisdictions to include two Sundays prior to each election. The board unanimously approved King and Queen County’s Sunday hours as 12:00 noon–5:00 p.m. in the registrar’s office and set specific weekend dates for the Aug. 4 primary: Sunday, July 19 (12:00–5:00 p.m.); Saturday, July 25 (9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.); Sunday, July 26 (12:00–5:00 p.m.); and Saturday, Aug. 1 (9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.). Weekday early-voting hours will remain Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

The registrar reported that three official candidates are currently on file and that the filing deadline has been extended to Tuesday, May 26, 2026; she said the extension affects ballot preparation turnaround times. Creech also said mandated updates to absentee ballot envelopes are being completed and that existing envelope stock will be used rather than ordering new envelopes.

On ballot administration, the board noted precinct-specific 'Ballot on Demand' will be used during early in-person voting. The registrar and board discussed plans for Officer of Election training ahead of the primary.

Creech informed the board that, under 2026 legislative changes, ballots must be scanned during all post-election processing activities beginning Sept. 1, 2026. She also reported that early voting for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election will begin Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.

Chair Stuart Swilley alerted members to a circulating malicious email impersonating the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) and reminded board members not to open unknown or suspicious emails or click embedded links.

The board set its next meeting for 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 9, 2026. With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:29 a.m.