The ongoing federal government shutdown, increased immigration enforcement, and the role parents play in public schools in Virginia were among the key issues on local voters’ minds during a recent WTOP sampling at a Loudoun County early voting satellite center.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), the number of early ballots cast so far this year is at a record high for a nonpresidential election in Virginia. During a mid-morning visit outside the Dulles South Recreation Center—one of Loudoun County Office of Elections’ four early voting satellite locations—WTOP spoke with voters about the issues that prompted them to cast their ballots before the Nov. 4 general election.
### Convenience and Key Issues Drive Early Voting
Most voters cited convenience as their primary reason for voting early in person, but the issues they cared about varied widely.
One voter pointed to the ongoing federal government shutdown as his main motivation, emphasizing its impact on his livelihood. “When the government gets shut down, contractors also get shut down,” he said. “I had skin in the game, to be honest.”
Another voter, a retired civil servant, expressed concern over the current shutdown’s severity. “I’ve been through many, many shutdowns before, but this one is just very different, and very bad,” he said. He has family and friends working in the federal government, which traditionally has been a predictable, stable work environment. “They never thought they’d ever be impacted, even if it shut down. Usually, there’s an answer that’s in the works, but nobody’s working it,” he added.
### The Role of Parents in Schools
A husband and wife who introduced themselves as conservative Christians shared that their votes reflected the candidates’ stances on conservative issues, notably abortion and current matters in public schools, such as gender identity and locker room policies.
“As parents, we want our voices heard,” the wife said. “We want to fight for our kids, to have a say in our kids’ education and any kind of policies that affect them, especially within the confines of school.”
However, the retired civil servant, whose children are grown, expressed skepticism about the “parents matter” movement that played a significant role in Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s election and gubernatorial term.
“Parents first? Some get too involved. I think it’s either crossed the line or has touched the line too much,” he commented.
Another man without children acknowledged the issue’s importance to the broader community, despite not having a personal stake.
### Internal Conflicts About Immigration
Most of the people WTOP spoke with viewed the increased immigration enforcement as an intensely political subject.
The government contractor voiced a desire for “discussions and real solutions,” commenting on how deportations are uprooting lives. “Most of the people that are getting deported are getting their lives torn up,” he said. “They’re as American as we are, I think it’s just that somewhere either their parents didn’t have the papers or didn’t necessarily do things right.”
The conservative couple emphasized the importance of entering the country legally. “By coming to the country illegally, you already are breaking the law by coming in,” the wife said. While she supports going after criminals, she expressed concern that enforcement has extended beyond that group.
“I do have a hard time with that. I feel like the Trump administration said they were going after the criminals first, and they have, but I also think that they have opened that up,” she explained. “I don’t think they’ve been as honest that they’ve been coming after people who are hard-working parents that are probably working double jobs and trying to keep their family afloat.”
“As a mom of a lot of kids, it’s heartbreaking to see families pulled apart,” she added, expressing sympathy for those affected by stricter enforcement.
She also acknowledged shared responsibility: “The truth is, we let them come in illegally, that’s our fault for doing that. So you can’t even blame them.”
When asked about immigration’s importance, the retired civil servant’s strong reaction suggested it was a significant concern. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement isn’t being monitored. The lack of oversight across the administration is just awful,” he said.
Looking ahead, he advised paying attention to the governor’s stance. “I would pay attention to what the governor says, whoever the governor turns out to be. That, and sending National Guard from Virginia into another state,” he said.
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https://wtop.com/virginia/2025/10/issues-virginia-voters-early-voting-polls/
