Voters are heading to the polls Tuesday for a special election in parts of Northern Virginia to fill two open seats in the state’s General Assembly.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting Tuesday in Districts 11 and 23, which include parts of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties, as well as Fairfax City.

Tuesday’s special election was triggered when Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger tapped two current members of the Virginia House of Delegates to join her cabinet.

Del. David Bulova, who represents Fairfax City and portions of Fairfax County, has been asked to lead as Virginia’s next secretary of natural and historic resources.

In nearby District 23, Del. Candi Mundon King is resigning to serve as the secretary of the commonwealth. Her constituents live in parts of Prince William and Stafford counties.

Both exiting lawmakers are Democrats.

Tuesday marks one of several special elections happening this month to fill open seats in Virginia’s General Assembly, including a second contest in another part of Fairfax County. Voters will head to the polls in District 17 next week.

How to vote

The Virginia Department of Elections website has a tool to help voters find their polling location.

Voters who are 65 or older, or those with disabilities, have the option of voting curbside.

Ballots that are cast by mail need to be postmarked on or before Jan. 13 and received by Jan. 16.

Outside of mailing those absentee ballots, voters can also bring them to a drop-off location. Check in with your city or county elections office for information about drop boxes and their locations.

District 11

Voters will see two candidates on the ballot in District 11: Democrat Gretchen Bulova and Republican Adam Wise.

Both candidates hold some name recognition in Fairfax County and Fairfax City.

Gretchen Bulova is married to the longtime Del. David Bulova, who is resigning from his position in the house to serve alongside Spanberger.

Wise challenged the incumbent for his seat in 2025 but lost to David Bulova.

The Republican nominee, Wise, is a native of Fairfax who works as a firearms instructor and self-defense teacher. On his website, he promoted a campaign slogan that seems to advocate for restricting the government’s influence on Virginians, writing “the government which governs least, governs best.”

Gretchen Bulova serves as the Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, overseeing museums as well as other research-centered programs, according to her website. She’s also the chair of the Fairfax County 250th Commission.

Affordability was the top issue of Gretchen Bulova’s campaign, with the Democrat specifically listing priorities of access to affordable housing, child care, electricity and health care on her website.

District 23

Democrat Margaret Franklin is running against Republican Verndell Robinson for the open seat in District 23.

Franklin represents the Woodbridge District on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. She was first elected to the board in 2019.

With hopes of maintaining the seat for Democrats, Franklin has campaigned on issues such as affordable housing, health care and the economy.

Robinson is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and currently works as a real estate agent, according to a local GOP committee.

Robinson has been a critic of certain data center developments and pressed for more affordable housing.