All Madison County polling locations remain open and the election continues unaffected Tuesday afternoon, despite a wildfire prompting evacuations in parts of the county.

“We have two polling places that are in the vicinity of Graves Mill [Historical Park] and Criglersville, but nothing that’s in a dangerous location,” said Lauren Eanes, the Madison County Registrar. “The smoke is really mild today. So there’s nothing that’s affecting any of the polling places, thankfully. We’re in tight communication with emergency services and the county administrator, so if something were to change, they’ll let us know.”

She added that there are voters living in areas close to the fire, some of whom have been urged to evacuate.

The fire began Oct. 31 in the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area, just west of Syria in Madison County and had consumed 2450 acres as of Monday, according to the National Parks Service. The Madison County Sheriff has urged residents living north of 681 Finks Hollow Lane to evacuate as the fire continues spreading and authorities don’t expect to contain it for another few weeks.

As you get ready to vote, here are some key dates and links from the Virginia Department of Elections:

Polls in Virginia close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, night. The Virginia Department of Elections will publish election results in real time, as they arrive from precincts around the state. To view them, head to this link. These are unofficial results until they are certified. Here’s more about how to get election results.

• Sept. 22: First day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office.
• Oct. 16: Deadline to register to vote, or update an existing registration. You can also register after this date, and on election day, but you will vote with a provisional ballot, could take longer for officials to count because they will verify your eligibility.
• Oct. 27: Deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you. Your request must be received by your local registrar by 5:00 p.m.
• Oct. 28: Voter registration offices open for early voting.
• Nov. 4: The last day of in-person early voting at your registrar.
• Nov. 7: Election Day. Here is where you can find your polling place.

Need to know if you’re eligible to vote? Here are resources from the Virginia Department of Elections.

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