Who's Who

During the day, in addition to seeing a lot of voters, let’s talk about other people you will encounter. We discussed the Chief Election Officer. The Chief is supported by an Assistant Chief. The Assistant Chief is usually an experienced election officer that helps the Chief carry out his or her responsibilities. Assistant Chiefs should be able to assume the role as Chief if for any reason the Chief cannot fulfill his or her assignment.

Virginia officially recognizes two political parties: the Democratic Party and Republican Party. According to Virginia law, if possible, the Chief shall not represent the same political party as the Assistant Chief.

The number of election officers assigned to a precinct depends on the size. In Fairfax County, we have precincts with over 5,000 voters and precincts with less than 1,000 voters.

Of course, our energetic and enthusiastic student pages are part of Who’s Who on Election Day!

You will also see Rovers. These people are technical experts that can help the election team trouble shoot issues with the voting equipment. They also carry replacement equipment, and extra election materials.

A member of the Fairfax County Electoral Board may visit your precinct. In Virginia, all elections in each of the 133 localities are overseen by a 3-member board. These individuals are politically appointed. Two of the members represent the Democratic Party and the remaining member represents the Republican Party. Why do the Democrats get two Board members? Virginia law says the majority on the Electoral Board represent the party of the Governor, and Ralph Northam, Virginia’s governor, is a Democrat.