Early voting helps ease Election Day traffic
At Red Church on South Rosemont Road, election officials credited early voting with keeping the flow of voters manageable, WAVY reported. About 30% of Virginia Beach's registered voters had voted early.
Virginia's early in-person voting period ran from Sept. 18 through Oct. 31, 2026, according to WAVY's voter guide. Election Day polls were open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Alongside U.S. Senate and House races, City Council and School Board contests brought some residents to the polls. Both local bodies had seats on the ballot in six districts: 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10, according to the Virginian-Pilot/Daily Press.
Voters cite costs and conflicts abroad
James Hickman, a veteran who voted curbside, described voting as an annual commitment and voiced concern about world events. "I had to get up and vote every year," he told WAVY. "I'm looking at the world today. It seems to be going down and down and down. ..."
Two residents who walked to the polling site also emphasized foreign policy. Nicole Miller said she was voting against the war in Iran and AIPAC money. Noah Elnaggy cited household costs as well as conflicts abroad: "Everything from gas to groceries, but specifically the war in Iran, in Gaza, is what brought me here."
Challenger leads District 4 council race
Most City Council incumbents appeared on track to retain their seats in the Virginian-Pilot/Daily Press's election-night report. District 4 was the exception: Janet Byrnes, a retired Virginia Beach master police officer, held 54% against incumbent Amelia Ross-Hammond with all eight precincts reported.
In District 2, incumbent Barbara Henley had 41%, ahead of Jeff Bruzzesi's 34% and Elaine Fekete's 23%, with returns from 12 of 13 precincts. District 6 incumbent Worth Remick had 63.8% with all 10 precincts reported.
District 8 incumbent Stacy Cummings held 55% as of 10:30 p.m. In District 9, incumbent Joash Schulman had 50.7% with all 13 precincts reported. District 10 incumbent Jennifer Rouse faced no opponent.
School Board chair trails in unofficial count
School Board Chair Kathleen Brown trailed challenger Betty Spencer in District 10, according to the same newspaper report. Spencer had 56.73%, while Brown had 42.55%.
The District 9 race was closer: Vice Chair Carolyn Weems held 50.27% to Suzanne Berman's 49.26%. In District 4, incumbent Alveta Green had 67.14%, ahead of challenger Melisa Herum's 32.04%.
These election-night figures were unofficial and excluded provisional ballots and post-election mail ballots, the Virginian-Pilot/Daily Press reported.
Senate projection and other ballot questions
ABC News projected that Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner would defeat Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa. The projection was reported Nov. 3 at 11:45 p.m. GMT, after WAVY's original turnout report was published.
Virginia voters also faced three proposed constitutional amendments, according to WAVY's voter guide. Question 1 addressed protections for personal decisions about reproductive care, including abortion, with third-trimester limits. Question 2 proposed removing the same-sex marriage ban and affirming equal marriage rights. Question 3 proposed a fundamental right to vote and restoration of voting rights upon release from incarceration.
Elsewhere in Hampton Roads, some localities held referendums on an additional local retail sales tax of up to 1%, reserved solely for school construction or renovation. WAVY's guide listed Emporia, Isle of Wight, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and York County among the participating localities. A law passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2026 authorized the referendums.
Post-election review runs through Nov. 13
Virginia Beach Electoral Board Chairwoman Nanette Miller told WAVY that officials would spend another 10 days checking paperwork, making corrections and reviewing provisional ballots and same-day registrations before certifying the vote. She said the certified vote would be submitted no later than Nov. 13.
