Northam, Gillespie Win Governor Nominations — Virginia’s lieutenant governor will face the former Republican National Committee chairman in November’s general election to fill the Governor’s Mansion. Their running mates will be Justin Fairfax (D) and Jill Vogel (R). [WTOP]

Herndon PD Establishes Drug Collection Station — The new unit at the Herndon Police Department (397 Herndon Parkway) will provide residents with a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired medication, including controlled substances. [Herndon Police]

Former Phys-Ed Teacher Gets Principal Job — Nick Napolitano, who was a physical-education teacher at Aldrin Elementary School from 2011-2014, has been named the principal of W.C. Taylor Middle School in Warrenton. [Fauquier Now]

Diversion First Info Session Tonight — Interested in learning more about the county’s Diversion First program, which was developed to limit the number of mentally ill and disabled people in jail? A presentation is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne (1609-A Washington Plaza N.). [Reston Now]

Farmers Market, Church Have Strong Partnership — Smart Markets operates out of the parking lot at St. John Neumann Catholic Community (11900 Lawyers Road) from 3-7 p.m. each Wednesday. [Arlington Catholic Herald]

Photo courtesy Radhika Murari/RSTA

There’s still time to vote in Virginia’s primary election. Polls opened this morning and will remain open until 7 p.m.

At the North County Human Services Center, one of several polling places in Reston, voters were in and out in only a few minutes. The official Fairfax County election Twitter account reported low turnout as of 2 p.m., with only 8.6 percent of registered voters having cast their ballots.

2 pm turnout estimates: 8.6% total. D=6.1% (43,011); R=2.5% (17,496) Another update expected at 6 pm. pic.twitter.com/nrTS1aqodf

— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) June 13, 2017

The candidates on the ballot for governor are Democrats Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello and Republicans Ed Gillespie, Corey Stewart, and Frank Wagner. For lieutenant governor, Republican candidates are Glenn Davis, Bryce Reeves and Jill Vogel; Democratic candidates are Justin Fairfax, Susan Platt and Gene Rossi.

Quite a few voters in Reston were vocal about their motives. Many came out because they are dissatisfied with the current administration and believe voting may be the solution.

“I think the midterm elections and statewide elections are very critical to the national issues,” said one voter.

But some don’t see it as a partisan issue. Some voters just wanted to see some return to normalcy in American politics.

“[Government] is focused on the wrong thing,” another voter said. “If I can send a message at the local level, that’s a start.”

Others are of the thought that voting is their duty as a citizen.

“If we don’t speak up and let people know how we feel by our votes, then we are subject to somebody else telling us what to do,” one man said.

If you need to know where your polling place is, check the Virginia Department of Elections. You will need to show a photo ID before casting your ballot.

You can also track the local results of the election on the county website.

Fairfax County has made sample ballots available for June 13’s Virginia primary election, at which Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates will be selected.

Republican candidates for governor are Ed Gillespie, Corey Stewart and Frank Wagner. Democratic candidates are Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello.

For lieutenant governor, Republican candidates are Glenn Davis, Bryce Reeves and Jill Vogel. Democratic candidates are Justin Fairfax, Susan Platt and Gene Rossi.

To find your polling place, visit the Virginia Department of Elections website.

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This is a commentary from Del. Ken Plum (D-Fairfax), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.

While a governor is the chief executive of a state responsible for seeing that the laws are carried out, the governor plays a crucial role in the legislative process with the requirement that all passed bills must be signed before they become law or not signed and vetoed to keep such bills from becoming law. There is no better example of the significance of the governor’s power to veto laws than in Virginia.

Next week, on Wednesday, April 5, which is the required sixth Wednesday after the adjournment of the regular session of the General Assembly, the Constitution requires a reconvened or commonly called “veto session” to consider only vetoes or amendments made by the governor to bills that had been passed in both houses of the General Assembly earlier in the regular session. The requirement for the reconvened session was added to the Constitution in 1981 because without it, the governor was able to veto bills after legislators went home without any opportunity for them to override the veto.

With the fast pace of nearly a thousand bills being passed in a session of 45 to 60 days, the reconvened session provides an opportunity for the governor to send down amendments that are found to be needed that might clarify or correct language in bills.

Most importantly, a governor can play a role in the legislative process by vetoing some really bad bills that may have narrowly passed the legislature but are not in the best interest of the state. Gov. Terry McAuliffe has used his veto pen very effectively in vetoing bills that respond to special interests but do not serve the public good of the Commonwealth. By the end of the reconvened session next week he will have set a record of vetoing more than 90 bills without legislators being able to get a two-thirds vote in both houses for the bills to become law without his signature. I am especially pleased that he has never vetoed a bill that I had not already voted against in the regular session.

As in previous years, he has vetoed bills that would legalize discrimination against LGBT citizens. He has regularly vetoed bills similar to HB2 in North Carolina, which has brought such bad publicity to that state for upholding discrimination and that resulted in the state losing businesses and major sports events. Without Gov. McAuliffe’s courageous veto, Virginia would be in the same category of discrimination as North Carolina.

Gov. McAuliffe has once again vetoed a bill that would deny public funding to Planned Parenthood, which provides critically important health services to women over an ideological dispute as to who should make reproductive health decisions for women. He is again vetoing a series of bills that would make guns and switch-blades more accessible to persons in emergency shelters including children. He vetoed a bill that would have expanded eligibility for concealed handgun permits.

What a difference Gov. Terry McAuliffe has made with his veto pen in keeping some really bad bills from becoming law.

As the Virginia Governor’s race heats up, so does the star power.  Former president Bill Clinton will be on hand to stump for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe at a Virginia Votes event at Herndon Middle School Monday evening.

Free tickets have been available from McAuliffe headquarters since late last week. Click here to inquire whether any are still available or stop by Democratic Party of Virginia offices at 384 Elden St. in Herndon.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and entrance is first-come, first-served, so plan on arriving early. Herndon Middle is located at 901 Locust St. in Herndon.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will campaign in Fairfax Monday for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, in a “Get Out the Vote Rally.”

The rally will take place at The Waterford, 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy. Interested in attending the rally?  RSVP on Cuccinelli’s website.

Election Day is Nov.5.