It’s time to vote … again! Well, at least for Virginians who live in House District 35, which covers Fair Oaks, Oakton, Vienna, Dunn Loring, and Tysons in Fairfax County.

Starting Wednesday, voters can cast early ballots in a special election to fill the district’s vacant seat in the Virginia General Assembly. Voting in the special election will conclude on Election Day, January 10.

Longtime Del. Mark Keam, a Democrat, stepped down in September to take a role in the Biden administration. His term doesn’t end until January 2024. The victor in the special election will finish it out.

After that, there’s a plot twist: The current District 35 was split into two new legislative districts (11 and 12) in Virginia’s recent redistricting process. So, if they want to stay in the House of Delegates, the winner of this year’s special election will have to run for office again in less than a year’s time — and in a new district.

District 35 covers a reliably Democratic area. Keam ran uncontested in several of his races, and when he did have a Republican challenger, he typically won with more than 65% of the vote.

Okay, so who are the candidates? 

There are two candidates running in the special election.

Monique Baroudi is the Republican nominee. She’s an IT specialist, parent, and longtime Oakton resident, with degrees from Thomas Jefferson High School For Science and Technology and the University of Virginia.

As for priorities, Baroudi’s campaign website references lowering taxes and cutting government regulations on businesses. It also alludes to problems with public safety and criticizes schools for “indoctrinating children rather than teaching them important life skills like reading, writing and math.”

“It’s time for common sense conservatives to have a strong voice in Northern Virginia again,” her website reads.

Holly Seibold is the Democratic nominee and lives in Vienna with her family. She’s the founder and executive director of BRAWS (Bringing Resources To Aid Women’s Shelters), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women and children in crisis with underwear and tampons and pads. She’s also the owner of a STEM education small business and started her career as a 4th grade teacher. While she’s not held elected office in Richmond, she’s advocated for policies there before, successfully pushing the General Assembly to pass bills mandating menstrual supplies in school bathrooms and correctional facilities free of charge.

Seibold’s campaign website focuses on education — ensuring that all Virginia children “[have] a world-class education,” ending “extremist attacks” on public education by Republicans, and keeping schools safe from gun violence — and women and girls’ issues, including abortion access. She also pledges to continue Keam’s legacy of expanding Medicaid by seeking to ensure all kids have access to healthcare.

Wait. What’s my district, anyway? 

There are a couple of resources that may help you figure out if you’re even in District 35. The Fairfax County Elections Office has an official list of the precincts allowed to vote in the special election here. You can also check by typing your address into the General Assembly’s Who’s My Legislator? tool.

How do I vote? 

The voter registration deadline to cast your ballot in the special election is January 3. You can register at the Fairfax County Office of Elections. After that, you may register at an early voting location or at your precinct on Election Day and vote a provisional ballot, which will be counted after your registration is verified.

Early voting begins Nov. 23 and will mostly take place at the Fairfax County Government Center on weekdays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. There will be two Saturdays of early voting, on Dec. 31 and Jan. 7, with two locations open, at Government Center (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Providence Community Center (9 a.m.-5 p.m.).

For voters who want to vote by absentee ballot, the deadline to request one is Dec. 30 by 5 p.m. Ballots will be mailed starting on Nov. 23. You can request one online or by filling out a paper form. You can mail your ballot back to the Fairfax registrar or turn it in in person at a ballot drop-box, early voting site, or precinct. Hand-delivered ballots must be received by Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. or postmarked on or before Jan. 10 and received by Jan. 13 to be counted.

Election Day is Tuesday, Jan. 10. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

This story has been updated to correct Holly Seibold’s name.