Nov 8, 2022 - Politics

Virginia Election Day cheat sheet

Illustration of three kinds of votes being cast over a divided red and blue background.

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Tuesday's midterms will decide which party controls Congress for the next two years.

The big picture: Republicans are heavily favored to take back the House of Representatives and have a decent chance of winning the Senate, too, Axios' Josh Kraushaar reports.

Zoom in: In Virginia, Democrats are playing defense trying to hold on to two tightly contested seats they picked up during the 2018 blue wave.

In the 7th Congressional District, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, faces Prince William County supervisor Yesli Vega, a Trump-endorsed Republican who would be the first Latina to win a federal election in Virginia.

  • The district, which used to include much of Henrico and Chesterfield, was redrawn last year, shifting it to the outskirts of Northern Virginia.

In the Virginia Beach-anchored 2nd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria is facing a challenge from GOP state Sen. Jen Kiggans.

  • Like the 7th, the district is considered a toss-up by election handicappers.

Worth noting: The Richmond area is mostly split between the 1st District and 4th District, neither of which is considered remotely competitive, though both parties have candidates on the ballot in each race.

  • And if you live in Chesterfield or Henrico there are bond referendums on the ballot, which if approved will fund the construction of schools, public safety infrastructure and other public projects.

The bottom line: Polls are open between 6am and 7pm.

  • Expect results to start rolling in around 8pm, though final race calls likely won't come until later in the night or Wednesday.
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