What is CAP?

CAP stands for Central Absentee Precinct. CAP is located in the Fairfax County Government Center and is responsible for processing absentee ballots.

There are two primary types of absentee ballot processes. Voters may request an absentee ballot and return their ballot by mail or voters may vote an absentee ballot in person prior to the election (early voting).

CAP has three responsibilities for mailed-in absentee ballots:

• Adjudicating – evaluating the voter submission to determine if the voter has completely and correctly filled out the required information
• Checking in – using an electronic pollbook to check in voters
• Counting votes – scanning or handcounting the voters’ ballots to determine how they awarded their votes

CAP has one responsibility for in-person absentee ballots, counting them. Voters who choose to participate in early voting at an in-person absentee location fill out an application, are checked in and place their ballot in a digital scanner at that location. CAP’s responsibility on election day is to receive the digital scanners from all early voting locations and tabulate the recorded votes.