Voters in all three incorporated towns in Botetourt will select a mayor on Tuesday, Nov. 6 during the General Election— and it’s likely each will have its incumbent remain in office since all three are unopposed on the ballot.

All three towns also have candidates running for town council seats. In Buchanan, seven candidates are running for four council seats; four candidates are running for three seats in Troutville, and there are three candidates on the ballot for three seats in Fincastle.

Countywide, voters will likely select John Alexander II to continue as Botetourt’s Commonwealth Attorney since he is the only candidate on the ballot to fill Joel Branscom’s unexpired term. Branscom was appointed circuit court judge earlier this year and Alexander, an assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, was appointed to fill the seat until what is technically a Special Election on November 6.

Voters in the Sixth Congressional District will pick a new member to the House of Representatives since Bob Goodlatte opted to retire at the end of his current two-year term.

And, statewide, voters will decide between three candidates running for U.S. Senate seat. Also, voters will cast their ballots on two proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution.

The Candidates

David Horton is running for another term as mayor of Troutville, Mary Bess Smith is running again for mayor of Fincastle and Craig Bryant, who was appointed to fill Larry Hall’s unexpired term, is standing in his first election for mayor of Buchanan.

The four candidates running for the Troutville Town Council seats up for election are H. John Cook Jr., Patricia M. Shaver, Spurgeon O. Vaughan Jr. and Granville E. Grant.

In Buchanan, James “Jamie” Manspile, Christopher B. Witt, John Mays, Brenda Noszek, Diane B. DiPalma, Joe V. DiPalma and Nate T. Hansard are on the ballot. All four Town Council seats are up for election.

George W. Sydnor Jr., Ed Bordett and Paige Ware are the three candidates for the three Fincastle Town Council seats up for election.

Democrat Timothy Kaine is being challenged by Republican Corey A. Stewart and Libertarian Matt J. Waters for the U.S. Senate seat Kaine currently holds.

Republican Ben Cline of Rockbridge County and Democrat Jennifer Lynn Lewis of Waynesboro are running for the Sixth District House seat that Goodlatte has held for more than two decades.

Amendments

Two proposed Virginia Constitutional Amendments are on the ballot, although neither has attracted much attention.

Amendment 1 asks, “Should a county, city, or town be authorized to provide a partial tax exemption for real property that is subject to recurrent flooding, if flooding resiliency improvements have been made on the property?”

Voters will respond Yes or No.

According to the Virginia Board of Elections website, the proposed amendment would authorize the General Assembly to allow localities to provide a partial tax exemption for real property that is subject to recurrent flooding, if improvements have been made on the property to address flooding. The General Assembly and participating localities would be allowed to place restrictions or conditions on qualification for the tax exemption.

A “yes” vote will authorize the General Assembly to allow localities to provide a partial tax exemption for real property that is subject to recurrent flooding, if improvements have been made on the property to address flooding.

A “no” vote will not allow such a tax exemption.

Amendment 2 asks, “Shall the real property tax exemption for a primary residence that is currently provided to the surviving spouses of veterans who had a one hundred percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability be amended to allow the surviving spouse to move to a different primary residence and still claim the exemption?”

The proposed amendment would allow the surviving spouse of any veteran who has been determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability to continue to claim the tax exemption currently provided, even if the surviving spouse moves to a new principal place of residence that is owned by the surviving spouse.

A “yes” vote will allow these surviving spouses to move to a new principal place of residence that is owned by the surviving spouse and still claim the tax exemption.

A “no” vote will not allow such surviving spouses to move and still claim the tax exemption.

All voting precincts will be open as usual from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday.

Also, Virginia law requires voters to show an acceptable photo ID to vote in person.

Results can be found on the Virginia Board of Elections website at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/resultsreports/election-results/2018-election-results/index.html.