Friday, September 23, 2016

Are You Election Ready?

Get ready 'cause here I come
Get ready 'cause here I come
Get ready

~The Temptations, "Get Ready"


With about six weeks until the next election and in-person absentee voting beginning today, I wanted to share some information that may be useful this election cycle, including information about registering to vote and voting absentee.

Please be aware that the deadline to register to vote in this year's election is Tuesday, October 17th.



On Tuesday, November 8th, the polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
At the Virginia State Board of Elections website, you can check your registration status and confirm your polling place. In addition, voter ID laws are in effect. The list of accepted forms of ID and other related information can be found here.



City of Falls Church Guide to the 2016 Election

  • In-Person Absentee voting begins Friday, September 23rd at City Hall, weekdays 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
  • Closed Monday, October 10th for the holiday
  • Open Saturdays, October 29th and November 5th, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
  • Last Day to vote In-Person Absentee is Saturday, November 5th, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
  • Last Day to request an absentee ballot by mail is Tuesday, November 1st at 5:00 p.m



Fairfax County Guide to the 2016 Election


In-Person Absentee Voting - Fairfax County Government Center

  • Weekdays - September 23rd to October 14th
    • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
    • Monday, October 10th, Columbus Day - OFFICE CLOSED
  • Weekdays - October 17th to November 4th
    • Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

  • Saturdays - October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th and November 5th
    • 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • For information on Satellite Voting Locations, click here.     



Referenda & Constitutional Amendments

For Falls Church, there is a referendum on library bonds.


For Fairfax County, there are referenda involving bonds for our parks, human services, and transportation. In addition, you will also be able to vote on a Meals Tax, which would allow Fairfax County to enact a tax rate of up to 4%. If passed, the additional estimated revenue is $99 million per year. 70% of this would be earmarked for FCPS and the remaining 30% would go to other County programs and services. I support the meals tax.


Two constitutional amendments will be on ballots all over the state. One amendment attempts to codify the Right to Work provision, which I am against. The second one gives localities the option to exempt the surviving spouse of any law-enforcement officer, firefighter, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel who is killed in the line of duty from real property taxes. I support this amendment.



Election Day Tips

  • Polls officially close at 7:00 p.m., but everyone waiting in line at that time must be given the opportunity to cast their ballots.
  • If the voting equipment malfunctions at your polling place, inform the election officials immediately. If the equipment cannot be repaired in a timely manner, you may then request an emergency paper ballot.
  • If you are elderly or disabled, or otherwise unable to enter the polling location without physical assistance, curbside voting will be made available to you at your assigned polling place.
  • If you previously requested and received an absentee ballot, but prefer to cast your vote in person on Election Day, be sure to return the unopened ballot to either the local Electoral Board or to the General Registrar before Election Day, or to the election official at your polling place.  This will enable you to cast a regular ballot on Election Day.

 

Questions: call 1--866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683)

Thursday, September 15, 2016

An End to the Hybrid Exemption

For over two years, the I-66 project has been a major topic of conversation in our community. Perhaps even longer than that if you consider previous concerns over traffic and commuting. After many community meetings and plan revisions, the Governor and senior VDOT officials unveiled the first phase of the project, the installation of tolling infrastructure on I-66 inside the beltway. While this is not how I might of chosen to kick-off the improvement project (I’d have preferred we break ground on the new lane from the Dulles Connector Road to Ballston first), the project is moving forward.

To many, the unveiling of the tolling infrastructure is an ominous signal that the end is near for the clean fuel plates exemption which has allowed single occupancy vehicles to use the HOV lanes inside the Beltway during rush hour.

This hybrid exception encouraged residents to purchase these innovative and exceptionally fuel efficient vehicles early on when the technology was new and relatively expensive. Given our high traffic area, I know many hybrid vehicle owners have enjoyed taking advantage of the HOV exception. I know this because many of them have asked me to help delay the sunset of the clean fuel plate exemption.

Some Background

The state entered into an agreement in 1994 with the FHWA that allows Clean Fuel Vehicles (Hybrids) to use the HOV lanes along I-66, inside and outside the Capital Beltway, as long as the state could demonstrate that allowing those cars on the HOV lanes wouldn’t cause the minimum average speed to decrease below 45mph at least ninety percent of the time.

Unfortunately, increased traffic and congestion has resulted in data to showing that the average speed cannot be maintained for ninety percent of the time. As an interim step, the state stopped issuing new clean fuel plates in 2011 but grandfathered in holders of the plates who got them before 2011. Traffic has continued to degrade, however, triggering a sunset clause to the hybrid car exemption.

In addition to traffic management, some have argued the program is a necessary incentive to encourage ownership of more fuel efficient cars, reducing carbon emissions and generally helping the environment.

I'm not convinced of the environmental benefits of continuing this particular program. Why should we allow someone driving a Camry hybrid, for instance, which gets 26 mpg, to take up capacity on the HOV/HOT lanes (more cars equal higher tolls for everyone else) while someone driving a less expense conventional drive vehicle like the Ford Focus, getting up to 35 mpg, can't use the lanes or has to pay the higher tolls? Why are we creating an incentive for this one particular technology? Simply giving hybrids a special exemption, while it may have been a good idea at the time, no longer makes sense to me.

Of course, if it didn't do anyone any harm, why not let the hybrids keep using the road like they always have? The problem is that It costs everyone else who uses the road higher tolls because toll pricing is based on the volume of traffic.

I am sure that it's disappointing to see this program, which has saved so much time and money over the years, go away. The truth is, I'm not a big fan of toll lanes and privatizing our roads at all. I'd love to see these roads remain free for everyone. We just haven't seen the political will to raise gas taxes to pay for infrastructure improvements we desperately need.

Unfortunately, the current hybrid exemption vehicle program is not compatible with the HOT lane concept which VDOT has adopted and is moving forward with. Given the new reality, I don't think it's fair to everyone else who uses these roads to have to pay higher tolls to benefit a savvy class of early adopters.

I haven't come to this position lightly. I've listened carefully to the arguments on both sides and done my best to keep an open mind. I understand that this is an issue on which intelligent and thoughtful people can disagree, and that some of my colleagues whom I almost always agree with are on the other side of this argument.

That said, if you’d like to share your concerns about this, please contact me either by phone (571) 327-0053 or email DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov.