Fairfax County registered voters may vote in-person absentee at the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale, from now until 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 2. Satellite voting locations are open from 3:30 – 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no voting on Sundays. All county voting facilities are accessible, and curbside voting is available for seniors and voters with disabilities.

In-person absentee voting enables the voter to access the same ballot and voting machines that are used at regular polling places on Election Day (this year it’s November 5), but the voter must indicate, on a form signed at the satellite location, a reason for voting in-person absentee. Out of town travel or medical issues are reasons given often for voting absentee, but other acceptable reasons include students away at college, work and commute is longer than 11 hours on Election Day, active duty military, and pregnancy. Log on to www.sbe.virginia.gov for more information about the Virginia Absentee Ballot Application Form.

At the same time, concern has been expressed about the process of purging names from voter lists. The first hearing in a lawsuit by the Democratic Party of Virginia against the State Board of Elections is tomorrow in federal court in Alexandria. Among the issues in the case is the use of change of address information from the United States Postal Service as well as shared electronic data from other sources, such as verification of subsequent registration in another state. A change in federal and state law does not allow for a voter’s name to be removed simply for failure to vote. The timing of the voter purge, just before a hard-fought gubernatorial election, has raised questions. However, since every year is an election year in Virginia, it might be hard to find a timely sequence for this kind of action in the Old Dominion.

Candidates for Fairfax County Sheriff and the Virginia House of Delegates will be featured at a candidate forum tonight, from 7 – 9 p.m., at the Annandale United Methodist Church, 6935 Columbia Pike in Annandale. The forum is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area and the Mason District Council of Community Associations. Candidates will make introductory statements, followed by a question and answer session. The forum is open to the public.

Cupboards and desktops overflowing with old electronic equipment and peripherals? Looking for close-in recycling of these unwanted items? The Glasgow Middle School PTA Panther Care Committee is sponsoring a free electronics recycling event this Saturday, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the school parking lot, located at 4101 Fairfax Parkway in Alexandria (Parklawn area). This free community service was initiated by students at Glasgow. NTRecycling is partnering with Glasgow, and will accept computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones, MP3 players, ink and toner cartridges, cables and wires, printers, and laptops. Start cleaning out those closets now!

Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.