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With 5 of 7 precincts reporting, Republican Ed Elswick leads Democrat Sarah Goodman in the race for Windsor Hills supervisor:

Elswick: 3,422
Goodman: 2,574

Longtime Democratic party volunteer Betty Hosp had extra help Tuesday outside Roanoke County's Our Lady of Nazareth Church station, both in her work and in her voting -- from her 12-year-old grandson.

We have details here.

We'll have election results and analysis tonight on our 2009 election site.

Complete election coverage: Posts from precincts around the valley, candidate profiles, results and more.

We have an update from the Cave Spring precinct, where officials say voting has been brisk this morning.

You can read more on the scene from Cave Spring in this post on our election site.

Also of note: The voting area at the school has been moved from its gym to its cafeteria, which requires the use of a different parking lot than last year.

Do you have voting experiences to share? You can leave a comment here. Then check back tonight for updates and analysis.

Polls across Virginia opened at 6 a.m. today; they close at 7 p.m.

Do you have news (or even photos) to share from your polling place? Long lines? Short lines? No lines at all?

Let us know by posting a comment here or emailing us at news@swo-co.com.

We'll have updates through the day; and then tonight, we'll be posting election returns and analysis both here and on roanoke.com's election site.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, sends this release about former football star Tiki Barber -- a Cave Spring grad -- testifying before Congress today:

FOOTBALL GREAT & ROANOKE NATIVE TIKI BARBER TO TESTIFY AT JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING TODAY

Wednesday, October 28th

Congressman Goodlatte wanted to call to your attention that Roanoke native Tiki Barber will be testifying before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on legal issues relating to football head injuries. Tiki Barber -- sports broadcaster, former running back for the New York Giants, UVA alumni and Roanoke native -- will be testifying on the second panel at the hearing sometime early this afternoon. You may listen to the hearing which will be streaming live at http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/caltoday.html.

Congressman Goodlatte, the Vice Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, is participating in the hearing and earlier offered a statement expressing his concern about the issue of football head injuries but concluding that this is not a problem for the United States Congress to solve. While this is a serious issue and one that needs increased public awareness, Congressman Goodlatte does not believe that the negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association on a new contract which includes addressing this issue is a matter on which the Congress should legislate. We are facing an array of other issues that demand our attention including out-of-control government spending, national security issues, health care reform and energy policy.

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The supervisors meet at 3 p.m. today. Here's the agenda.

The County of Roanoke will hold a public hearing to discuss plans on proposed improvements to Route 613, Merriman Road, at the intersection with Meadowlark Road.  The proposed project involves the construction of a roundabout, the realignment of Merriman Road, and connections to Meadowlark Road, the new South County Library entrance, and Penn Forest Elementary School/Darrell Shell Park (Project #0613-080-773; UPC 94796).

The public hearing will be held on Monday, November 9, 2009, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Penn Forest Elementary School Cafeteria located at 6328 Merriman Road.  The hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. with a presentation reviewing the proposed improvements, the estimated construction schedule, and the temporary road closure.  Detailed drawings will be on display at the meeting.  Roanoke County and Virginia Department of Transportation staff will be available to discuss the project and to answer questions during the public hearing.

Written comments about the project may be submitted at the meeting or until November 23, 2009, by mail to Mr. George Simpson, P. E., Roanoke County Department of Community Development, P.O. Box 29800, Roanoke, VA  24018.  Email comments can be sent to planning@roanokecountyva.gov.  Please reference “Merriman Road Improvements” in the subject heading.

If you have any questions or need special assistance to attend and participate in this hearing, please contact David Holladay or George Simpson in the Roanoke County Department of Community Development at (540) 772-2080.

Submitted by Teresa Hamilton Hall.

The Roanoke County School Board meets tonight. Here's the agenda.

Southwest Roanoke County is split between two districts in the House of Delegates. Most voters will be casting their votes in race between Morgan Griffith and Carter Turner.

However, voters in the Clearbrook, Hunting Hills and Ogden precincts are in a district that stretches to Botetourt County. There, Del. William Fralin, R-Roanoke, is retiring and Republican Bill Cleaveland and Democrat Gwen Mason are running to succeed him.

We put the same five questions to each candidate. Here's a link to Mason's answers; Cleaveland's answers are below.

1. What is the most important issue facing Virginia during the next four years?

The budget. Its tentacles extend into all facets of state government.
Just like in our families, Virginia is not immune to the impact of the worst financial climate in many generations. I will focus on working with valid numbers both on the income and spending sides of that equation. I believe the state’s income shortfall is likely to be between 4 to 5 billion dollars. With that level of deficit, serious cuts will have to be made and I do not see tax increases as an option.
Tax increases will break the backs of Virginia’s families and will also cost us even more through additional lost jobs. Even with this seemingly bleak scenario, I see an opportunity here for the state to “reset” its priorities back to core functions of government-education, economic development/jobs, transportation and public safety. This realignment will cause us to have to prioritize spending, again just as we have to do in our own homes. While these are tough times, we WILL get through them and I believe we will come out on the other side strengthened by a commitment to begin living within our means.

2. How do you propose to deal with this issue?

I will seek to reverse excessive and wasteful state spending and I will work to ensure that we also develop realistic revenue projections for the income side of the budget. Unrealistic projections on both income and expenditures have gotten us into this mess, and I believe we must do a more accurate job in this area. These are tough times and they will require tough decisions to be made, but just like we must do at home, Virginia must learn to live within its means, too.

3. What is the best decision that the General Assembly has made in recent years, and why do you think this was the best?

I believe that the General Assembly’s dealing with the state’s mental health issues (post VA Tech) marked one of its best decisions in recent years. First, it brought to the forefront a serious problem that had been neglected for far too long. Secondly, it provided a positive initiative to provide help for those suffering from mental illness and put in place procedures to help protect the public from becoming victims of violent patients.

4. What is the worst decision that the General Assembly has made in recent years, and why do you think this was the worst?

Among the worst decisions made by the General Assembly in recent years was their attempt to fund transportation infrastructure by using exorbitant “Abuser Fees.” This has got to be one of the worst ideas ever conceived. Instead of freeing up funds from waste and duplication of services, they sought to fund what are certainly much needed transportation improvements by imposing huge fines of citizens.

5. What else should voters know about you before casting their vote?

Having lived in the Roanoke Valley for more than thirty years, I love this Valley and its people. That love and respect for our people, coupled with my strong commitment to the SERVANT part of public service, makes me a person who will work WITH citizens to get their issues solved. As an attorney and as a substitute judge serving two different judicial districts, that is what I have done for my clients and for the people who appeared before me as a judge, and that is the same commitment I make to the citizens of the 17th district. I hope I can earn your vote on November 3.