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Roanoke County elections officials will employ some unusual procedures next Tuesday in the Vinton town elections. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:

For the rest of this week, Vinton registered can cast ballots in advance without leaving their vehicles. The Roanoke County Voter Registrar’s office recently moved to the former Craig Recreation Center at 900 Chestnut Street in Vinton. Electoral Board Chairman Ken Srpan says that’s where town residents can drive up through Saturday and cast an early ballot:

You must be registered, of course, and you have to call their office at (540) 772-7500 prior to and upon arrival. This early voting is available 8:00 am to 4:oo pm through Saturday.

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NEWS RELEASE: To help protect voters and the Roanoke County elections staff from Covid-19, the two regular polling places for the Vinton Town election on May 19 will be moved to one consolidated precinct. Registered voters in the Town of Vinton who normally vote at either the Vinton Baptist Church or the Charles R. Hill Senior Center will only be able to cast their ballots in-person for the town election on May 19 at the Vinton Municipal Building at 311 South Pollard St.

The municipal building polling place will be open the normal voting hours of 6 am to 7 pm on May 19. Voting will take place in the treasurer’s office which is right in the building entrance. The Officers of Election will be behind the two teller windows wearing masks and gloves. There will also be sanitizers available.

Voters just have to show their ID through the glass window and be checked in. They will be handed a ballot through the tray under the window. They can mark their ballot in privacy. When complete they can return it to the staff behind the teller windows and watch as their ballot is entered in the scanner to register their vote.

It is important to note that only voters who live and are registered in the TOWN of Vinton are eligible to participate in the election on May 19th. A voter’s address may say Vinton, but the voter must be a resident of the Town of Vinton who normally votes at the Hill Senior Center or Vinton Baptist Church.

Vinton Town voters can also take advantage of early in-person voting daily through this coming Saturday, May 16 at the Roanoke County Registrar’s new office at 900 Chestnut St. in Vinton. (That’s the former Craig Recreation Center.) Voters can fill out an application for a ballot, and once approved immediately receive a ballot to vote from the safety of their car. All voters have to do is call the Registrar’s office at 772-7500 prior to coming and again when they arrive, and just stay in your car. Elections staff will come out to you.

The registrar’s office will be open 8 am to 4 pm through this Saturday May 16 for early voting.

The deadline to receive absentee ballots by mail for the Vinton Town election is 5 pm Tuesday, May 12.

Again, the Roanoke County Registrar’s office is now located at 900 Chestnut St. in Vinton. It is no longer at the Roanoke County Administration Building.

If you have any questions, please call the Roanoke County Registrar, Anna Cloeter at 772-7500 or Ken Srpan, Chairman of the Roanoke County Electoral Board at 797-7358.