Massive lines form in Virginia for first day of in-person voting

‘This is one thing we can take control of. One thing that is going to make such a big difference,’ says Richmond resident Kristin Richardson

Long queues formed in Virginia, as the state had its first day of in-person voting ahead of 3 November’s presidential election.

Images of long socially distanced lines of voters were shared on social media on Friday, as Virginia along with half a dozen other states opened early in-person voting, which will run until 31 October.

Ralph Northam, the Democartic governor of Virginia, urged residents of the state to cast their ballot, as he shared a picture of himself voting while wearing a face mask.

“Virginians, it's time to #Vote! My ballot is in — and if you are registered in Virginia, you can start voting TODAY,” the governor tweeted.

He added: “Whether you vote absentee by mail, on #ElectionDay, or early and in person like I did, Virginians can be confident their vote is secure and will be counted.”

Long queues were also reported by officials in Fairfax County, Henrico County and the state's capital Richmond, according to Fox News.

Officials from the Democratic Party have called for voting by mail to be implemented for November's presidential election, due to concerns that not every person will be able to vote on 3 November because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The US is still attempting to deal with the crisis, and according to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, in the US as a whole, some 6.6 million people have tested positive for coronavirus, while the death toll has reached at least 197,148.

Kristin Richardson, an early voter in Richmond, told NBC 12: “Nothing is easy right now. Nothing’s easy. There’s just so much pressure right now and we all feel such a loss of control, right? What can we control right now.”

She explained that she was voting early, because it is “one thing we can take control of. One thing that is going to make such a big difference.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken publicly against people being able to vote by mail in this year’s presidential election and has claimed without evidence that it will cause a large increase in voting fraud.

The president has also refused to give the US Postal Service (USPS) more funding, despite it struggling during the ongoing  pandemic and under the leadership of postmaster general Louis DeJoy.

A deal to help fund the USPS was struck in the house last month, but is unlikely to make it through the Senate, as Republicam majority leader Mitch McConnell has said he will not accept a standalone bill for the service. President Trump has also threatened to veto it.

During an interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo last month, Mr Trump said that the Democrats need the USPS funding “in order to make the post office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.

“But if they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting, because they're not equipped to have it. They don't have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they can't do it, I guess."

Jim O’Conner, an early voter in Fairfax, spoke to CNN in line to vote and said he was there on the first day possible, because: “I don't trust the mail right now.”

Mr O’Conner added: “If I've got to stand here all day, I'm going to vote today.”