FRANKLIN
Registrars in Western Tidewater are preparing for the general and special elections, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The polls will be open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

In Franklin, Southampton and Isle of Wight, voters will be asked to vote for a Congressional senator and a representative of the 4th District.

Incumbent Sen. Mark R. Warner, a Democrat, is challenged by the Republican party’s Ed W. Gillespie and the Libertarians’ Robert C. Sarvis.

Incumbent Congressman J. Randy Forbes, a Republican, is challenged by the Democrats’ Elliott G. Fausz and the Libertarian Party’s Bo C. Brown.

There are no elections for Franklin City Council or Southampton County Board of Supervisors this year.

However, residents in the Windsor District of Isle of Wight will be asked to elect a mayor as well as new town council representatives. Carita Richardson is running unopposed for another term as mayor. Council incumbents N. Macon Edwards III and Patty A. Flemming are on the ballot along with newcomer Tony J. Ambrose; Wesley F. Garris, vice mayor, is not seeking another term.

The special election features a proposed Constitutional amendment on the ballot. The issue is whether or not a surviving spouse of any member of the armed forces, who was killed in action, can be exempt from taxation of real property, so as long as the spouse makes that home their principal place of residence and also has not remarried.

IOW Registrar Lisa Betteron said she hasn’t heard any talk about anticipated turnout for the election.

“You never know,” she said. “It’s been pretty slow up until the last week.”

But before voters will be allowed to cast their ballots, they must first provide a picture ID. This is because of the Voter Photo ID law, which went into effect on July 1.

As Franklin Registrar Jennifer Maynard recently told The Tidewater News, “Now you have to have any of the following, a valid Virginia Driver’s License, a valid Virginia DMV-issued Veteran’s ID card, a valid passport, employee identification photo card or a government-issued photo card, or a Virginia college or university student photo ID,” she said.

Maynard added that valid includes the ID hasn’t been expired for more than a year.

“So if your ID expired Nov. 5 even last year, it’s still good,” she said.

Up to and including Election Day, voters can go to have their picture taken for free.

Voting without a valid photo ID is possible, and that’s called a provisional ballot. But such voters have until noon on Friday that week to provide a copy of their photo ID to the voter registrar. Failure to do so means that vote won’t be counted.

To learn more, contact Betteron at 365-6230; Maynard at 562-8545; or Peggy Davis at 653-9280; or visit www.elections.virginia.gov