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Virginia
Why this Virginia voter is concerned about her mail-in ballot: 'I'm frustrated'
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — With only 22 days left before the Presidential election, Betsy Spath thought she’d get her mail-in ballot by now.
“I was signed up as a permanent voter, to get my absentee ballots through the mail, every year, for perpetuity, for forever. And when it didn’t come by last week, I got a little concerned, because previously it had come a little before that,” Spath said.
Her registrar’s office in Chesterfield County said her ballot was sent to her Midlothian address on September 20, but Spath said she never got it.
She was then given two options: request a second mail-in ballot or vote in person.
“I’m just really nervous, I’m afraid it won’t come again. And that’s my only concern. I’ll be really up to the end to vote, and I don’t want to be in that position,” Spath said.
Though it’s unclear why Spath’s mail-in ballot hasn’t made it to her home yet, Virginia lawmakers, including Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, as well as Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, Representative Abigail Spanberger, and a staffer from Rob Wittman’s office, met with USPS Postmaster Louis DeJoy and Virginia Commissioner of Elections Susan Beals, and most came away from their meeting with a certainty that mail-in ballots will be handled efficiently for this election season.
According to their recent meeting, Richmond mail is now at about 85% efficiency with on-time delivery.
“The average time for a ballot to go through the mail, whether it’s going from, outbound, from the registrar to the voter, and then back in, the average time for that is 2.18 days, which is a relatively fast turnaround time,” Spanberger said.
Spath noted that most of her neighbors had received their mail-in ballots about three weeks ago, but she wasn’t the only one to not receive one.
“It’s never happened before, and I’ve had several neighbors tell me that their college kids have not received their ballots. So this is not just a one in a million, this is happening in Virginia, in 2024. And this is a big election, every vote counts, as in every election,” Spath said.
Around October 21, USPS will start employing “extraordinary measures,” where election mail will be made a top priority, and different routing measures may take place.
There will also be heightened attention to any mail tampering or election intimidation by mail.
Though USPS’s Inspector General’s Office listed Virginia as the fourth worst region for on-time mail delivery in the country, lawmakers said they’ve had productive conversations with both USPS and the Virginia Department of Elections about voting by mail.
“Because of the pressure that the delegation has put on the post office, not only to get the mail delivery times up, but to be more forthcoming and communicative, not only with their customers, but with us and now with the Department of Elections, I think we do feel comfortable that while we are not where we want to be with mail delivery time, we’re getting there,” McClellan said, noting that though there will be an increase in mail flow due to mail-in ballots, most people will likely still choose to vote in person.
Each representative shared a similar message with reporters at a press conference Friday: Mail your ballot or drop it off at your local post office as soon as possible, and if you’re able, vote in person.
Though Spath was told her second mail-in ballot would come within the next 10 days, she’s prepared to make alternative plans if it doesn’t.
“I’m going to get my vote in, no matter what,” she said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
EAT IT, VIRGINIA restaurant news and interviews
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Five people were charged after Virginia Beach Police conducted a two-day human trafficking and vice operation on July 3, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
The department’s Special Investigations Bureau conducted the operation, which was aimed at identifiying human trafficking victims, reducing the demand for commercial sex and targeting individuals seeking to exploit or recruit children for prostitution.
Detectives used many investigative techniques to proactively identify individuals involved in criminal activity related to prostitution, human trafficking and offenses against children. The operation was conducted in Virginia Beach, involving personnel from all of the bureau’s squads.
As a result of the operation, five people were identified and charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of prostitution to sex trafficking and crimes involving minors. Two vehicles and U.S. currency were seized during the operation. Other people were connected to victim services through Samaritan House.
The operation led to the following people being charged:
- Shane Carter, 28, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
- Robert Harris, 64, of Virginia Beach, was charged with solicitation of prostitution and assault and battery.
- Larry Pittman, 53, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking and use of electronic devices to facilitaate certain offenses involving minors.
- Kenric Frazier, 46, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking, use of electronic devices to facilitate certain offenses involving minors and solicitation of child pornography.
- Cameron Lewis, 24, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
Investigators also developed leads about people who are suspected of trafficking and exploiting others for commercial sex. Those are now active and ongoing investigations. There may be more charges and arrests pending further investigation and consultation with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
If you’re a human trafficking victim or know someone who is, you can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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