Voting Today in Burke, West Springfield

Burke area residents head to the polls today to vote in Republican primaries for the U.S. Senate race in Virginia and the 11th congressional district; and a Democratic primary for the 8th congressional district.

Morning turnout was low, which Republican Party Precinct 824 Captain Marion Robertson said is unfortunately common in primaries and on rainy days.  "This is a very conservative precinct with a great sense of community," she said.  "We're usually in the top four for election turnout in Fairfax County, but today has been very slow."  As of 7:30 a.m., 37 people had voted at .

As one man headed to the polls with his young son in tow, campaign workers heard music to their ears.  "Can I vote, Daddy?" said the young man.  His dad told him he could ... when he turns 18.

Patch editors are visiting precincts throughout the day.  We will post candidate photos and comments in this article as they become available.

Republican Primary - Senate

Former senator and Gov.  and wife  greeted voters Tuesday morning at Washington Mill Elementary School, a precinct near their home in Mount Vernon.

"I had the honor of serving Virginians in the U.S. Senate, as well as governor, and I know the communities and the people, and that’s not something that’s easily done just in a year of campaigning," Allen said. "We have good friendships and relationships throughout Virginia, so the bigger the turnout, the better it’ll be for us. We’re cautiously optimistic.”

The Allens plan to visit other precincts around Northern Virginia today before heading to a rally in Richmond to await results.

Virginia Del. Bob Marshall, a candidate in the U.S. Senate race in Virginia, cast his ballot at Signal Hill Elementary School in Manassas, his home precinct.

“I’m satisfied with what time I had [campaigning], Marshall said.

“I had a lot of volunteers around Virginia, but clearly we didn’t have the money that (Republican U.S. Senate candidate) George Allen did, but this — at least the way it looks like it's turning out — is a campaign of intensity, not one of name ID," he said. "We’ll find out at 7 o'clock tonight how accurate that is.”

-- The winner of this four person race will face , also a former governor of Virginia. The Senate seat is currently occupied by Sen. Jim Webb, who announced his retirement last year.

Democratic Primary - Eighth Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Jim Moran voted at 6 a.m. at the Arlington County Division of Parks and Natural Resources on South Taylor Street in Shirlington.  Moran said he wants to stay in Congress at least two more years.  "I feel very much invested in the community, and I'll have to be convinced there is somebody in the running with my sense of values and vision," he said.  "I can't turn it over to someone who doesn't have proven involvement in the community. That's the test, really."

Just past 6 a.m., Bruce Shuttleworth was one of the first voters to cast a ballot in the Democratic primary at the Madison Community Center precinct in North Arlington. Shuttleworth said he's ready for a general election campaign.

"We'd be completely energized for that," Shuttleworth said. "I'm up for that challenge."

Shuttleworth, with his wife Divonne, will campaign in Alexandria and Arlington today.

-- The winner will run against Republican in November's general election. Independent must gather 1,000 signatures by today to get onto the November ballot in the 8th District race.

Republican Primary - Eleventh Congressional District

Chris S. Perkins arrived at Orange Hunt Elementary School in Springfield at 7 a.m. this morning, after voting in his home precinct in Lorton.

"I hear how angry people are about the lack of progress in Congress," said Perkins. "It's important to send the message today that voting is our mechanism for change, and it's important for everyone to get out and vote," he said.

"Vaughn and I are both fiscal conservatives, so it comes down to how serious is your solution," said Perkins.  "Vaughn's solution is to offer massive cuts to balance the budget in just one year," he said.  "My more serious answer is to address regulatory reform over time.  The changes should not just come from budget cuts. Vaughn also supports cuts in defense and veterans benefits, and I just can't support those," he  said.

-- The winner of the primary will face Democratic Congressman Gerald Connolly in November's general election. Independent Mark Gibson is also running in the 11th District. He is required to gather 1,000 signatures by today to get onto the November ballot.

Get Out and Vote

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Congressional Boundaries have Shifted

Congressional district boundaries in Virginia have shifted due to population changes noted in the 2010 Census. These are links from the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) showing the new and old maps:

8th Congressional District Map

10th Congressional District Map

11th Congressional District Map

Some voting locations have also changed. If you're unsure where to go to vote, you can enter your address on the State Board of Elections website.

Patch Editors Jessie Biele, James Cullum, Lauren Sausser and Alexandra Mendoza contributed to this story.