Early voting in Virginia began just last week, but the first wave of ballots already shows Republican-leaning House of Delegates districts pulling ahead of their Democratic counterparts. Peake said the early voting surge in Batten’s district is “a great sign” for her. This year, early voting began on Friday, Sept. 19 and will continue through Nov. 1, two days before Election Day. But some strategists worry that the GOP’s embrace of early voting could erode what has traditionally been a Democratic edge in absentee and early ballots. With more than a month of early voting still ahead, both parties will have opportunities to shape turnout.