Happy Halloween. Something scary is how we still see voter apathy. Once this is overcome, there are still barriers and glitches (rather than brooms or witches) to casting ballots (not spells) in Virginia or nationally.
According to Congress.org, some people believe if they cast a vote by absentee ballot or by mail that it won't be counted on Election Day. Some believe their vote won't be counted at all unless the election is close.
FALSE! Early votes, absentee ballots and vote-by-mail ballots sent in BEFORE Election Day are the first ones counted as soon as the polls close. These are the results announced by the media right away. Don't be afraid if you voted by absentee ballot. Here in Montgomery County, on Oct. 15 the Board of Supervisors voted 6-0 to establish an ordinance providing a Central Absentee Voting Election Precinct for all elections, to help get these types of ballots counted quickly.
To further clarify this in Virginia, the attorney general's office reiterated to some state election officials that all federal absentee ballots must be counted -- despite a conflicting state law. This follows the Fairfax and Norfolk County registrars disputing having to count absentee ballots -- mostly from service men and women currently overseas. In these situations, if being morally right isn't enough, federal law is supreme.