“You don’t want to wait until a week before the election and then decide to put it in the mail,” said Stephanie Iles, the city’s director of elections and general registrar. “There is a possibility that we might not get it in time.”

The United States Postal Service has faced nationwide slowdowns in the past few years due to strains from the pandemic and operational cutbacks. Virginia was hit hard, as Richmond served as a guinea pig for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s cost-cutting plan of consolidating individual processing centers into larger regional hubs.

Local and state election officials are subsequently pushing absentee voters to request and return their mail-in ballots as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline.

“I think we are all concerned about it,” Iles said.

Christine Lewis, Virginia Beach’s director of elections and general registrar, said she noted slower services during recent elections.

“It’s taking about three to five days for people to receive their ballots in the mail,” she said. “I would have said pre-COVID, it would usually take people about two days.”

Election Day is Nov. 5 but early voting starts Sept. 20.

To be counted, absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the general registrar’s office by noon on the third day following the election. If possible, Iles and Lewis encouraged absentee voters who are approaching the deadline to consider dropping ballots off at the registrars’ office or a drop-box location.

“If I had to name what my biggest concern is with the 2024 general election, it would be the operational performance of the United States Postal Service,” she said, adding the department raised concerns prior to last year’s election. “We started hearing from registrars that they were having issues with mail ballots not being delivered to voters, not getting them back in time or ballots coming back as being undeliverable.”

Beals said absentee voters should get started on the process early so any mishaps or delays can be addressed.

“I know folks sometimes get their ballot and go ‘Well I’m just going to let it marinate here and think about it’ — you can’t do that this year,” she said. “You need to make sure that you mail it back (immediately) or drop it off.”

Absentee voting is a popular option nationwide, according to Elliott Fullmer, a political science professor at Randolph-Macon College. Fullmer, who researches voting and elections, said about 40% and 32% of voters used that method in 2020 and ’22, respectively.

He believes it’s always a good idea to take an earlier approach to absentee voting and said officials’ concerns should never be dismissed.

“I am glad they are voicing those concerns now because if there is something that is hurting the processing of ballots, it’s better to flag that now than before it is too late,” he said. “What I am encouraged by is that, despite the significant concerns that everybody had in 2020, I feel like the system worked well.”

Fullmer said Virginia has also made it easier to vote since the pandemic by expanding the number of voting methods.

Although Virginia ranked worst in the nation this year for postal service, there also have been improvements amid pushback from residents and lawmakers. Several federal legislators in Virginia, including Republican Rep. Rob Wittman of Yorktown and Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, met with Dejoy in July for an update.

The on-time delivery rate of first-class mail in Virginia improved from 66% to 77.4% during the first quarter of this year, according to a release about the meeting from Kaine’s office. But this fell short of the goal of 93%.

“The numbers are getting better,” Kaine told The Virginian-Pilot last month. “We still have some parts of the Richmond distribution area out around Charlottesville where it’s bad.

“Then the postal service frightened everyone last week by saying it might have to curtail services in rural areas (in 2025). Rural America relies more on the postal service than urban America does so that went over very poorly — so we have more work to do.”

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com 

The Republican submitted a statement of organization with the Virginia Department of Elections. Any individual seeking public office in Virginia must file a statement of organization within 10 days of accepting or spending campaign funds or appointing a campaign treasurer. The paperwork states that a contribution was first accepted, and an expenditure made, on Wednesday.

Then she made her formal public announcement Thursday night in front of at least 200 supporters at Chick’s Oyster Bar restaurant in Virginia Beach, including city Mayor Bobby Dyer.

“With your support we can secure the future of Virginia and make sure that the values that we cherish remain strong for generations to come. So let’s roll up our sleeves. Let’s get to work, let’s get to work, lets get to work!” she told the crowd.

Dyer was among the opening speakers, and he led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

“How about this folks? How about we take this November’s election and victory and let’s put a Marine in the Governor’s Mansion next year!” he said.

Earle-Sears was elected lieutenant governor in 2021. She is the first woman to hold the position in Virginia and the first Black woman to hold statewide office.

Earle-Sears is the first Republican to announce a bid, although state Attorney General Jason Miyares is expected to run as well. He released a statement on social media Thursday saying the party should be focused on winning races this year.

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the only declared Democratic candidate so far. She has raised about $7 million as of June 30, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan organization that tracks campaign donations.

Earle-Sears told the story of her father’s immigration from Jamaica in 1963, just days before Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“It was the height of the Civil Rights Movement, but folks, it is no longer 1963. This is two-zero-two-four,” she said. “Things have changed, have they not? Of course they have, because how else could I be second in command in the former capital of the Confederate states? The Klan is turning over in their grave.”

Earle-Sears served four years in the Marines, working as an electrician. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Regent University.

In a Thursday news release, Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker criticized Earle-Sears as a far-right “extremist.”

“If elected governor, she’d unleash her radical agenda: outlawing abortions, rolling back gun safety measures, dismantling LGBTQ+ rights, gutting healthcare for millions, and slashing funding for public schools,” Swecker said.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com

Gavin Stone, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com

Photos: Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears announces run for governor

The Democrat submitted a statement of organization with the Virginia Department of Elections. Any individual seeking public office in Virginia must file a statement of organization within 10 days of accepting or spending campaign funds or appointing a campaign treasurer. The paperwork states that a treasurer was appointed Aug. 28.

Surrounded Monday by campaigning Democrats at U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott’s annual Labor Day cookout, including Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff, Jones declined to comment on his campaign.

“Jay remains solely focused on the critical elections in November, which is why he is in Newport News today campaigning for the Harris-Walz ticket,” Chief of Staff Lesley Stewart wrote in a Monday email. “Any formal announcement will come after those elections have concluded.”

Jones, an attorney, lost the Democratic primary for attorney general in 2021 to two-term incumbent Mark Herring, who was defeated in the general election by Republican Jason Miyares. The former Virginia Beach delegate has not announced whether he intends to seek reelection.

Jones served in the House of Delegates from 2018-21. He won reelection in November 2021, but announced his resignation a month later, explaining he and his wife were expecting their first child. He said at the time that he planned to return to politics.

“Let me be clear, our work is not done and I intend to serve the people of Virginia for years to come,” Jones said then. “And that work may well mean a run for attorney general in 2025.”

Jones will face against at least one other Democrat. Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor announced in June she is seeking the office. Taylor has raised $293,325 as of June 30, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan organization that tracks campaign funds.

Jones’ family has a history of public service. His father, Jerrauld Corey Jones, held the same Norfolk House seat from 1988 to 2002. His grandfather, Hilary H. Jones Jr., was the first African American appointed to the Norfolk School Board and the Virginia Board of Education.

Reporter Trevor Metcalfe contributed to this report.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com 

Hundreds showed up to U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott’s cookout to hear Emhoff speak as the presidential election heads into its final weeks. Emhoff touted Harris’ achievements while contrasting her vision with that of former President Donald Trump.

“Kamala is pro-worker,” Emhoff said. “She’s pro-business and she’s pro-family. Donald Trump is pro-himself.”

Emhoff described a whirlwind last few weeks as President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris clinched the Democratic nomination. He said many conversations with Harris nowadays are to discuss which battleground states they will be visiting that day.

He also praised her commitment to labor unions while describing Trump and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance’s campaign as offering nothing but authoritarianism and misogyny.

“That’s their platform,” Emhoff said. “That’s all they got.”

Dozens of other candidates and elected officials, including Scott, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, U.S. Reps. Jennifer McClellan, Abigail Spanberger and others, attended the event.

Scott said the cookout, which is held at his childhood home, began in 1977 with just around 30 attendees as a way to thank volunteers before the last campaign push before November. Around 1,300 people attended the event Monday, according to campaign officials.

“We appreciate the neighbors putting up with it, but it’s great fun,” Scott said.

It was a busy Labor Day for the Harris campaign. She made stops in Detroit and in Pittsburgh with Biden, according to the campaign. Her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, spoke at a labor gathering in Milwaukee.

Trump did not schedule any Monday events, according to his campaign website. He plans to hold a Saturday rally in central Wisconsin.

Early voting in Virginia begins Sept. 20.

Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com

Wells was a pioneering Black journalist and an activist for women’s rights and the suffrage movement.

Walk participants are asked to wear white and comfortable shoes. The event is nonpartisan, so leave any political signs at home.

The walk begins at 10 a.m. in front of the museum at 1 Memorial Place in Norfolk.

Parking will be available at the Harrison Opera House, 160 West Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk.

For information, see bit.ly/naacpwomensvotewalk or call 757-287-0277.

“Today’s settlement is a big win for Virginia consumers, resolving nearly eight years of litigation,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a Friday release.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that Delaware could not keep money from unclaimed MoneyGram checks. MoneyGram is an international peer-to-peer payment and money transfer company. The court determined the unclaimed checks are governed by the Federal Disposition Act and should be returned to the states where the MoneyGram items were purchased.

Under the terms of this week’s agreement, Delaware will transfer more than $102 million of the property that MoneyGram reported to the state from 2011 to 2017 to the coalition of states based on each monetary instrument’s place of purchase. Virginia will assume custody of its portion of the settlement and the responsibility to pay any claims for the property, according to the release.

“We stood firm in our fight and the Supreme Court agreed with us,” Miyares said. “I’m proud of this coalition’s efforts to bring this issue to a close, and my office’s work to secure these funds for Virginians.”

Delaware had argued it should keep the funding because MoneyGram is incorporated in the state.

“In the context of tangible property, the escheatment rule is straightforward: The State in which the abandoned property is located has the power to take custody of it,” the court ruling states. “But determining which State has the power to escheat intangible property, which has no physical location, can be complicated, as multiple States may have arguable claims.”

A Miyares spokesperson said Virginians who are seeking to file a claim should visit https://moneygramremission.com/

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com

Chesapeake, Hampton, James City County, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, York County: Closed Monday

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Schools

Chesapeake: Closed Monday

Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg-James City County, York County: Closed Friday and Monday

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Garbage

James City County, Newport News: No collections Monday. Collections for the week will be delayed one day.
Hampton: Monday’s collections will be picked up Wednesday.
Chesapeake, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach: No collection changes Monday.
Williamsburg: Garbage will be collected on its regular schedule Monday and Tuesday. Recycling collection will be delayed one day.
York County: No garbage collection changes Monday. Recycling collection will be delayed one day.

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Travel

Hampton Roads Transit: On Monday, buses, light rail, paratransit and base express will operate on a Saturday schedule. The ferry will change to its winter schedule, and will operate on a regular weekday schedule. Labor Day will also be the final day for the full VB Wave schedule. Transit center information booths and public access to all administrative facilities will be closed. The customer service call center will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Mail

Post offices will be closed Monday with no regular mail delivery.

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Libraries

Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, York County: Closed Monday

Chesapeake, James City County: Closed Sunday and Monday

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Recreation

Chesapeake, Hampton, James City County, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg: Closed Monday

Newport News: Closed Sunday and Monday

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State

DMV: Customer service centers will be closed Monday.

Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, will be in Newport News on Labor Day, a spokesperson for the Harris presidential campaign confirmed this week. No other details were provided.

Emhoff has helped his wife’s campaign since she replaced President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket last month.

“This is only the beginning. I promise you this: we are going to do the work, fight hard, and win,” Emhoff wrote Wednesday on social media, alongside a video of himself and Harris embracing onstage at last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Though information about Emhoff’s Newport News trip has not been released, there’s at least one notable political event slated for Monday.

Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, will hold his annual Labor Day cookout — a longstanding tradition that often draws federal and local legislators. In a release this week, Scott said he will be hosting several “special guests” this year, including U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine.

“As we all know, the stakes could not be higher for the election this November,” Scott said. “My Annual Labor Day Cookout provides a platform for voters to engage with political candidates seeking office in Hampton Roads and throughout the Commonwealth before casting a ballot this fall.”

Gwen Walz, wife of Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also will visit Virginia soon. She will headline an “Educators for Harris-Walz” event Friday in Manassas, according to a campaign news release.

A Roanoke College poll released Aug. 20 found the Harris campaign is slightly leading former President Donald Trump in Virginia. Harris had a three-point lead (47% to 44%) over Trump in a head-to-head matchup in the commonwealth, and a similar lead (45% to 42%) when other candidates were included.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com

As he approached 30 years in public service, Kaine said he took time to reflect before seeking another term in the Senate. He had already served as a city councilman, mayor, lieutenant governor, governor and Virginia senator for two terms. And in 2016, he was Democrat Hillary Clinton’s running mate in her bid for the White House.

Maybe it was time for a new chapter?

“I really grappled with what was the right answer,” he said. “I wanted to do either (decision) whole-heartedly.”

Kaine, 66, ultimately concluded this wasn’t the right time to step away. He is running for his third Senate term and faces Republican political newcomer Hung Cao, who has former President Donald Trump’s support. During a Monday interview with The Virginian-Pilot, Kaine discussed the concerns that kept him in politics and shared his thoughts on this year’s unprecedented presidential election.

“It’s been a whipsaw of a two months,” he said.

This summer was marked by political upheaval. President Joe Biden’s debate performance in June caused panic among some Democrats and sowed divisions within the party about whether the 81-year old should halt his reelection bid. A gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally just two weeks later.

Kaine described the debate as painful, but said he understood why the president wasn’t pressured to drop out sooner.

“President Biden did a great job at the State of the Union,” he said. “Not only was the speech great but he stayed in the chamber visiting with everybody … I don’t think anybody was in a position before June 27 to say ‘Hey, we’ve got to go a different direction.’ ”

Kaine, however, noted presidential debates are typically held in September or October. He suspects Biden’s campaign may have offered to debate earlier this year to ensure there would be time to change candidates if problems arose.

Kaine, who never added his voice to the public chorus calling on Biden to step aside, said his gut told him the president would make the right call. Biden later withdrew from the race in July and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Kaine said Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are off to a strong start and have unified the party. But he’s still expecting a tight race to the White House.

Explaining that economic issues are a priority for most voters, he urged the candidates to tout the Biden administration’s record on infrastructure, job creation and new business registrations.

“Democracy and freedom are good (campaign themes) but put the economy in and have there be three pillars,” he said. “The Republican economic message is so simple and straightforward, cut taxes and cut regulation and they’ve had that as the theme since Reagan. The Democrats never had a simple theme, so how about one that takes advantage of the Biden-Harris accomplishments — Make, Build, Grow?”

As for his own campaign, Kaine said he isn’t taking anything for granted. But if reelected, he hopes to focus on “unfinished business” related to immigration reform. It’s a heated issue, but he sees reasons to hope for a bipartisan solution.

“The unemployment rate in this country is low and the birth rate is low,” he said. “We are not going to meet the needs of the shipbuilding industry or hospitals or hotels without a workforce-based immigration reform bill.”

Kaine, who was governor during the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech, said he also has more work to do on firearms. He wants to continue pushing for measures, such as magazine limitations and universal background checks, aimed at reducing gun violence.

Strengthening alliances abroad would be another priority, he said. Kaine co-sponsored legislation last year, which was passed as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, to prohibit any president from withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization without congressional approval.

“It’s the one thing that China and Russia never really have had, although you see them realizing as they’re watching what’s going on in Ukraine that they better be closer together because NATO and other alliances like that are such a value add for the democracies,” he said.

“I really feel like more work in the diplomacy space to strengthen alliances both for military and other cooperations is something I’m really excited to be (a part of) in the future.”

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com