Elections and Voter Registration: Early Voting Expansion
Office of the County Administrator: Equity and Inclusion Two new positions in the Office of Equity and Inclusion will play key roles in the implementation of the county’s first ever Loudoun Equity Action Plan (LEAP). The LEAP is a strategic plan designed to guide Loudoun County’s work to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. The new equity specialists will work toward achieving one of the plan’s goals—workforce readiness—helping to enhance the internal culture of the county organization by building employee understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility principles through education and policy implementation.
A new position in the Office of Elections and Voter Registration will be dedicated to overseeing early voting, which continues to increase as more and more Loudoun voters choose to vote early in person or by mail. The budget also includes funding for equipment and expenditures that will be needed to operate additional early voting sites that are planned for various locations throughout the county.
Early voting options in the county will continue to expand with additional locations planned.
The county’s efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility continue with a focus in FY 2026 on the county workforce.
INTERVIEW | Gladys Hurwitz | Transit and Commuter Services Division Manager The FY 2026 budget includes funding for a Microtransit Pilot Program. What is the On Demand Microtransit Pilot and how will it work? goal of enhancing existing transit in the area particularly around key government offices,
Inova’s Loudoun Medical Campus, and commercial areas along Market Street. It also improves first and last mile connections to key locations. Additionally, the service expands geographic coverage and offers more mobility options for transit dependent populations, including households with limited car access. If the Transit On Demand pilot in Leesburg is successful, do you see it expanding to other areas in Loudoun County? This pilot presents a valuable opportunity to assess the feasibility of on-demand micro transit as a viable transportation option for the county. Transit staff will closely monitor data throughout the year to gain insights that will inform any planned future development of on-demand microtransit services in the county.
The pilot, called Transit On Demand, is a shared public transportation service that operates on an on-demand basis. The Transit On Demand pilot allows for passengers to request free rides via a smart phone app or by phone with targeted wait times of no more than 20 minutes. Our pilot service area will cover 6.2 square miles in Leesburg with over 150 stops in the area where a passenger could get picked up or dropped off. The vehicles used for on demand microtransit are generally smaller, such as a body on chassis minibus. The vehicles used for the pilot will be a van where riders will share a ride with other on demand microtransit riders. What are some of the benefits of the On Demand Microtransit pilot? The On Demand Microtransit Pilot has a
FY 2026 BUDGET STORY, LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA / 15
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