Nov. 5 Newsletter: Today's the day
Weather: Warm and windy, high of 77
On this date in 1985, Douglas Wilder becomes the first Black Virginian elected to statewide office (Lt. Gov.). He gives his victory speech in the ballroom of the Hotel John Marshall, where he had worked waiting tables when he was younger.
Candidates hit the polls for one final push
The polls officially opened at 6 a.m. this morning in Richmond, and we weren't the only ones there - the mayoral candidates have a presence across the city, hoping to capture undecided voters in the final hours of a five-candidate race.
Meet the VCU art alum behind the viral opossum voting sticker
The traditional "I voted" sticker has a distinctly Richmond twist inside city limits.
The Richmond Office of Elections sponsored a contest to design this year's sticker, which features an opossum voting.
The sticker was designed by VCU School of the Arts graduate Asia Rorick, and was selected as residents' favorite earlier this year out of four finalists.
Read more about the sticker and Rorick's inspiration here.
Early vote could play a late role in determining tonight's winners
Richmond City has 165,434 registered voters, and 43,399 of them took advantage of early voting options offered by the city.
Because early votes have to be tallied by precinct, and can't be counted until the polls close, the Registrar's office has cautioned that those results may arrive later than the day-of results when ballots are counted on Tuesday night.
Día de los Muertos celebration brings Richmond's Hispanic community together
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden hosted a Día de los Muertos celebration Saturday, honoring life and remembering loved ones through colorful displays, cultural activities, and community engagement.
View photos and read more about the event here.
VCU basketball season is underway. Here's what you need to know.
The Rams tipped off their season with a win over Bellarmine last night, and Michael Phillips gets you caught up to speed as basketball season begins:
- This year's team will live and die by the 3-point shot
- Roster retention means high expectations
- Friday is the first big game of the year, a 6 p.m. tipoff against Boston College
Richmond hasn’t had significant rainfall in five weeks. We’re nearing a record.
We have gone nearly five weeks without a daily rainfall totaling more than 0.03 inches — the fifth longest stretch on record.
The current record for that streak is 43 days, which ended on November 8, 2000. And there is a legitimate chance we will exceed it, Sean Sublette says.
Read more, including why permanent Daylight Savings Time won't fly, here.
In other news...
- Man killed outside Richmond Sheriff's Office, death investigation underway (CBS 6)
- Richmond housing costs are up as Harris, Trump campaign on the issue (Axios)
- Petersburg casino vendor CEO: If Election Day turnout is good, 'we'll be fine' (Progress-Index)
The editor's desk
It's 6:50 a.m. as I write this from my fourth precinct visit of the day - and we're just getting started. We hope you'll come back to Richmonder.org starting after 7 p.m. tonight, as the results begin to roll in.
We'll have regular updates on who is leading the mayoral race, as well as top City Council and School Board contests.
Today's in-person voting is expected to be tallied in the 9 p.m. hour, which will give us a good look at where things stand before the early vote is counted in a second wave.
And of course, come back tomorrow for analysis and on-the-ground reporting that gives you the inside story.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
