October 17, 2021
Neighbors,
We have about two weeks till Election Day! I am proud that we have expanded early voting in Virginia, and hope you have made your plan to make sure your voice is heard in our elections.
Included in this newsletter is information about:
More Early Voting Locations Opening Soon
DMV Reopening For Limited Walk-In Appointments
Virginia Is Leading The Nation In Rent Relief
COVID-19 Response
Booster Update
Community Vaccination Center Reopen At Tysons
Redistricting Update
As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Best, Kathy
Kathy KL Tran
Delegate, 42nd District
More Early Voting Locations Opening On 10/21
More early vote locations are opening in Fairfax County on Thursday, 10/21! If you’re a Fairfax County resident, you can vote at the following locations from October 21st through October 30th.
Burke Centre Library
5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke 22015
Centreville Regional Library
14200 St. Germain Dr, Centreville 20121
Franconia Governmental Center
6121 Franconia Rd, Alexandria 22310
Gerry Hyland Government Center
8350 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria 22309
Great Falls Library
9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls 22066
Herndon Fortnightly Library
768 Center St, Herndon 20170
Mason Governmental Center
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale 22003
McLean Governmental Center
1437 Balls Hill Rd, McLean 22101
Providence Community Center
3001 Vaden Dr, Fairfax 22031
Sully Governmental Center
4900 Stonecroft Blvd, Chantilly 20151
Thomas Jefferson Library
7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church 22042
Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library
7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church 22043
West Springfield Governmental Center
6140 Rolling Rd, Springfield 22152
On top of those locations, three other locations have been open for early vote since September 17.
Fairfax County Government Center
12000 Government Center Pkwy
Conference Rooms 2/3, Fairfax 22035
Mount Vernon Governmental Center
2511 Parkers Ln, Alexandria 22306
North County Governmental Center
1801 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston 20190
The locations will be open at the following times:
Weekdays:
Fairfax County Government Center 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
All other locations 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays (October 23rd, and October 30th)
All locations 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday (October 24th)
All locations 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Don’t live in Fairfax County? You can check where you can early vote here: https://iwillvote.com/
DMV Reopening For Limited Walk-In Appointments
The DMV has reopened all 75 DMV locations for limited walk-in appointments. The locations will be open for walk-in services on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the DMV will continue to provide services by appointment-only.
The DMV closed for in-person services in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened for appointment-only service in May 2020 and remained appointment-only until October 5. The General Assembly included a provision in the final budget during the August Special Session that required the DMV to plan for reopening for walk-in services.
If you need services from the DMV, you can make an appointment online or find the DMV location closest to you.
Virginia Is Leading The Nation In Rent Relief
Virginia is leading all other states in releasing federal rent relief dollars. The money comes from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program, which allocated $46.5 billion to state and local governments to assist renters who are struggling to pay rent.
Following the allocation of the funds, the Virginia General Assembly established a rent and mortgage relief program, and in Fairfax County, the County is operating the program for residents.
Fairfax County residents who need rent assistance should call Coordinated Services Planning at (703) 222-0880 from 8:00am — 4:30pm on Monday through Friday.
Virginians outside of Fairfax County that need rent relief should visit https://www.stayhomevirginia.com/ for help.
Making sure that every Virginian has stable housing is incredibly important, particularly during these challenge times. Continuing to provide eviction protections remains one of my priorities.
COVID-19 Response
Booster Update
As of October 17, the CDC has authorized a single booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine six months after certain individuals have completed their primary series of vaccines. It recommends the booster shot for the following groups of individuals:
People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings,
People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions.
And the CDC says the following groups of individuals may get the Pfizer booster:
People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions, and
People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is monitoring approval for booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, as well as vaccinations for youth under age 12. The VDH will be prepared to provide these vaccinations as soon as federal guidance is given to do so.
Community Vaccination Center Reopen At Tysons
The community vaccination center has reopened at the former Lord & Taylor store at Tysons! The location is run by VDH in cooperation with the Fairfax County Health Department and the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management.
At that location you can receive:
First and second doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Booster doses of Pfizer vaccine to individuals seeking the Pfizer booster if six months have passed since their last Pfizer dose and they are eligible to receive the vaccine (see above!)
Approved COVID booster shots for eligible individuals.
Need to get vaccinated? Visit https://vaccinate.virginia.gov/ to find the nearest location for you to get your vaccine. Or you can call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682), TTY 711). Have questions about the vaccine? Contact the Fairfax County COVID Help Center at 703-324-7404.
Redistricting Update
The Virginia Redistricting Commission has given up on trying to redraw maps for the House of Delegates and Virginia State Senate. The Commission was given until Sunday, October 10 to redraw the two maps, although they were given an additional 14 days if they couldn’t decide on a map by then. Those maps will now be drawn by the Virginia Supreme Court.
The Redistricting Commission is now turning its attention to redrawing the Commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts. The Commission asked its Republican and Democratic consultants to create maps by October 14. After taking comments on the initial maps, the consultants were instructed to present one map to the Commission on Monday, October 18. The Commission has until October 24 to approve new congressional maps.
You can see the proposed maps and find out more information, including how to provide comments and view the hearings, on the Virginia Redistricting Commission’s website.
The Commission’s upcoming meetings are scheduled for:
October 18, 2021, 8:00 a.m.
October 20, 2021, 8:00 a.m.
October 22, 2021, 10:00 a.m.
October 25, 2021, 8:00 a.m.