Photo by Matt de Simone
By Matt de Simone
The 2024 presidential election season is well underway. Voters in Botetourt County have the chance to make their choice for their party’s respective representative this Tuesday, March 5. This year, Virginia will have a dual presidential primary election, which means both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party will have primaries on the same day.
In a dual primary, officers of election ask voters if they want to cast their ballot in the Democratic Party Primary or the Republican Party Primary—two separate elections with two separate ballots.
Candidates on the Democratic Party ballot are President Joe Biden, Marianne Williamson, and Dean Benson Phillips. Republican Party candidates are Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ryan Brinkley, and Ron DeSantis.
According to the County Registrar Traci Clark, all declared presidential candidates listed on the ballot are considered valid, and that no candidates have officially withdrawn in the state of Virginia. The ballots were printed on the first day of the year, she noted. If the campaigns submit paperwork to withdraw prior to March 5, the registrar added, a list of withdrawn candidates will be posted at county polling locations but, for now, everyone is still fair game.
All qualified voters may vote in either primary, but voters may not vote in both primaries. The choice to vote in a party’s primary does not mean that the voter will be “registered” with that party. Virginia does not register voters by party.
Early voting is still ongoing Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the Department of Elections & Voter Registration Office on the corner of Roanoke and Main streets in Fincastle. The final day to vote early is Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m.
If voters wish to vote by mail, a drop box marked for “Vote By Mail ballots” is located in the vestibule of the Registrar’s Office. Voters also have the choice to personally deliver their marked ballot at the Registrar’s Office during regular business hours. Hand-delivered ballots can only be accepted from voters ballots were issued to. All others must go in the drop box or need to be mailed.
There is also the option to deliver mail ballots to any county polling location on March 5 from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Any resident who requested and received a mailed absentee ballot and wishes to vote in-person during early voting on March 5, residents must bring the absentee ballot package with them to surrender.
Botetourt County Polling Locations:
Amsterdam District – Lord Botetourt High School (Daleville Precinct), Greenfield Elementary School (Greenfield)
Blue Ridge – Colonial Baptist Church (Blue Ridge), Colonial Elementary School (Rainbow Forest)
Buchanan – Buchanan Elementary School (Buchanan), Mill Creek Baptist Church (Mill Creek)
Fincastle – Eagle Rock Elementary School (Eagle Rock), Fincastle Baptist Church (Fincastle)
Valley – Troutville Elementary School (Troutville), Read Mountain Middle School (Cloverdale)
