Thousands of people turned out in Fairfax County for the first day of early voting in Virginia.

The strong turnout seen in Virginia on Friday for the state’s first day of early voting for the presidential election isn’t something you see every election cycle.

“This is not normal at all,” said Eric Spicer, Fairfax County’s chief elections officer and clerk. “We’re in record territory.”

Lines were long at early voting locations, including at the Fairfax County Government Center, where hundreds of people stretched from the front door to the parking lot.

“I find it incredible,” said voter Christina Hunnicutt. “People are eager to do this and do their duty.”

“It shows how excited people are about this election,” said Loren Southard, another voter in line. “A lot of people are very tuned in and want to make their voices heard.”

It follows a tumultuous summer in American politics, in which President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, and an assassination attempt on Republican nominee Donald Trump, followed by another apparent assassination attempt on him nine weeks later.

During the previous presidential election in 2020, Fairfax County welcomed about 1,200 voters during the entire first day of early voting.

Friday’s turnout far exceeded that figure.

Spicer said by mid-afternoon, 2,800 people had already voted in the county. As of 7 p.m., his office said 4,232 people had voted at the three polling places, the Mount Vernon Government Center and the North County office. All three places will be open to voters Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Virginia Voter’s Guide: What to Know About Voting in the Historic 2024 Election

“I’ve been doing this for 27 years and I’ve never seen voters this enthusiastic,” Spicer said. “Four years ago we had a huge turnout, so we thought maybe it would be the same, but it’s more than doubled.”

Spicer compared the current voter enthusiasm to a political version of the Super Bowl.

“We’re early in the first quarter and we don’t know what’s going to happen after today, but so far we’re doing really well and it’s looking good,” Spicer said.

Virginians vote for president, the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and a number of local offices throughout the state, including mayor, city councilor, county council, and school board.

The state has 45 days of early voting before the Nov. 5 election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located in the European Economic Area.