As we look ahead to November’s elections, Manassas Park Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race in town. Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates.

Voting Info

Absentee voting has already started and continues into early November. Information about absentee voting (how, where, and whether you qualify) is available here.

On Nov. 6, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Look up your voting precinct here.

You can also look up what is on your ballot through the State Board of Elections website.

Manassas Park City Mayor

Incumbent Mayor Frank Jones announced he is running unopposed for re-election.

He is seeking his third term in office.

Jones, who is orginially from South Carolina and a graduate of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, was selected to serve on the Manassas Park School Board in 1991.

He became the school board chairman in 1993 and remained in that position until he was elected mayor of the city in 2004.

Jones said he is running for a third term because he wants to ensure the quality of services in Manassas Park are sustained or improved. The mayor said the city has come through some tough financial storms and he wants to make sure its fiscal resources are managed and relief is brought to the tax payers.

There are four people running for city council in Manassas Park—three republicans and one democrat. They are: 

• Keith Miller (Republican)
• Bryan Polk (Republican)
• W.J. "Bill" Treuting, Jr. (Republican)
• Jeanette M. Rishell (Democrat)

Stay with Patch throughout October as the races develop.

Virginia Constitutional Amendments

There are two Virginia constitutional amendments on the ballot. The Virginia State Board of Elections has created this brochure explaining the issues.

1st Congressional District

The 1st Congressional District is just west of the city of Manassas Park, so we're including the information here for those readers:

Republican incumbent Rob Wittman is facing challenges from Democrat Adam Cook and the Independent Green Party’s Glenda Gail Parker. Rep. Wittman was elected in a special election in 2007; he previously served in Virginia’s House of Delegates. Adam Cook had to briefly suspend his election this summer to deploy with the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Click on each candidate below for more information on each:

• Rep. Rob Wittman
• Adam Cook
• Glenda Gail Parker

10th Congressional District

Republican U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf has served the 10^th district since 1981. He did not face any primary challenge this year and in 2010 defeated Democrat Jeff Barnett with 63 percent of the votes to Barnett’s 35 percent. This year, a Democrat and an independent are looking to unseat Wolf.

• Frank Wolf (incumbent, Republican)
• Kristin Ann Cabral (Democrat)
• J. Kevin Chisholm (Independent)

U.S. Senate

Defense cuts and political gridlock in Washington were the focal points of the first debate between U.S. Senate candidates (and former Virginia governors) George Allen and Tim Kaine. The debate was in September in McLean.  Here’s more on each candidate:

• George Allen (Republican)
• Tim Kaine (Democrat)

U.S. President

President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have been criss-crossing the Commonwealth for months trying to woo swing state voters. President Obama is looking for a repeat victory in the Old Dominion. Gov. Romney handily won the Virginia primary against Rep. Ron Paul. Independent candidate Virgil Goode will also be on the Virginia ballot, along with Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green candidate Jill Stein.

Recent appearances in Virginia by President Obama and Gov. Romney include:

• Gov. Romney in Springfield in September
• President Obama in Woodbridge in September
• Gov. Romney in Fairfax City in September
• President Obama in Leesburg in August
• Gov. Romney in Manassas in August

Also, see what your neighbors donated to the President Obama and Gov. Romney campaigns here.

See these articles on the other candidates:

• Virgil Goode Campaigns for President Against the Odds
• Gary Johnson 2012: The Libertarian Revolution will not be Televised
• Green Party's Jill Stein: The Occupy Candidate 

Here are results from 2008 from the major areas of Northern Virginia when then-Sen. Obama faced Sen. John McCain in the presidential election (this does not include third party candidates):

• Alexandria City – Obama 71.73 percent; McCain 27.25
• Arlington County – Obama 71.71 percent; McCain 27.12
• Fairfax County – Obama 60.11 percent; McCain 38.93 percent
• Loudoun County – Obama 53.66 percent; McCain 45.41 percent
• Prince William County – Obama 57.51 percent; McCain 41.62 percent
• Spotsylvania County – Obama 46.04; McCain 52.91 percent