Obama campaign to submit signatures to qualify for Va. ballot

Ahead of the filing deadline, a Democratic coalition plans to present petitions with roughly 15,000 voter signatures to state election officials Friday so President Barack Obama can appear on the Virginia ballot next year.

To qualify for ballot inclusion in a presidential primary, state law requires candidates to submit the signatures of 10,000 qualified voter signatures, at least 400 of which must come from each congressional district in the state. Virginia's presidential primary election is scheduled for March 6.

Volunteers with the state chapter of Obama's Organizing for America and the Virginia Democratic Party will deliver the signatures collected nearly three weeks before the state's Dec. 22 deadline, according to campaign officials, who have been working in Virginia since 2009 and have held over 2,000 events since the April launch of Obama's re-election effort.

In addition to filing the signatures, the campaign will open offices in Fairfax County and Newport News Saturday as the re-election effort ramps up -- U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, is expected to be among those who attend the grand opening event for the Peninsula office.

Scheduled to join Scott are Newport News Mayor McKinley Price, Hampton Mayor Molly Ward at the office opening, which is to be held at 2712 Chestnut Ave. in Newport News at noon Saturday.

Virginia is thought to be a key battleground state for Obama. Many pundits believe he needs the state's 13 electoral votes in order to win a second term.

Obama carried the Old Dominion in 2008, making him the first Democrat to do so in more than four decades, but Virginia Republicans have made significant election gains in the three years since.

-- Julian Walker

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