Arlington County Board members on July 22 approved a third satellite-voting option leading up to November’s election.
Ratifying a request of the Arlington Electoral Board, local leaders endorsed a proposal to add the Long Bridge Park aquatics center in Crystal City as an early-voting satellite site. It will join Madison and Walter Reed community centers in hosting early voting starting in mid-October.
The added cost to operate the facility as a voting site will be about $125,000, county officials said.
Adding the Crystal City location would be a benefit to residents in a fast-growing area of the county, election officials said. Having more people voting early will reduce waiting times for those casting ballots at polling places in Crystal City and its vicinity Nov. 5.
Election officials and county staff considered use of Arlington Mill, Lubber Run or Langston-Brown community centers as early-voting options, but each had down sides that led to the selection of the Long Bridge venue.
Under state law, a locality’s governing body has power to determine if satellite-voting facilities will be used, and where they will be located. But local elections officials, who do not report to those governing bodies, are responsible for setting dates and times those sites will be in use.
At their July 9 meeting, Electoral Board members endorsed a plan to have the satellite centers open Oct. 16 and be in operation weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
