Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Richmond’s Office of Elections has announced that it will close the office early on Thursday, Feb. 1 as it works to clear out fumes from a heating system malfunction that occurred on Wednesday.
“We are closing the office early today at 12PM. The fumes are still being aired out and we do not want to risk the health of our employees,” Richmond Office of Elections said on X. “We will give an update on when the office will reopen tomorrow. Thank you all for understanding.”
On Wednesday morning, Richmond General Registrar Keith Balmer announced that a heating system failure in the building caused the “release of fumes and smoke.” Officials decided to halt early voting as a precaution.
“In the interest of ensuring the safety and well-being of our dedicated staff, poll workers and valued voters, I have made the decision to suspend early voting for today. The potential risk of smoke inhalation necessitates this precautionary measure,” Balmer said Wednesday.
Richmond Office of Elections is located at 2134 West Laburnum Avenue.
