By james art 
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A steady stream of voters cast ballots at the Central Library and the Kempsville Area Library on Friday, the penultimate day of early in-person voting in the Commonwealth.
Early voting will end on the Saturday at 5:00 PM before Election Day on Tuesday.
“I decided to vote early because I didn’t want to stand in lines and I have things to do at church on Tuesday,” said one voter.
Watch: Virginia Beach voters cast ballots at record pace
Voters in Virginia Beach are casting ballots at a record pace
More people have already voted early in person in Virginia Beach than in 2020.
With so much at stake, voters have a lot on their minds when they come to vote.
One voter said she was focused on “the economy and our border.”
Watch: Despite lower overall early voting in Virginia, Virginia Beach scores record numbers
Despite Lower Virginia Early Voting Totals, Virginia Beach Sees Record Numbers
Polls consistently show the economy is at the top of the list for Virginia voters this year.
“Our economic standing with the United States is a problem,” said voter Mark Resch.
Others have different priorities. “One was democracy and making sure our democracy is protected. We all need to participate as citizens,” said voter Charles Wilson.
For some, the issues may be different from previous years.
Watch: Chesapeake creates satellite polling locations to combat long lines
The City of Chesapeake created satellite polling locations to combat long voting lines
Wilson said he’s also focused on “women’s reproductive rights. To be honest, it wasn’t a topic for me before.”
Resch also said it was on his mind, but he’s not on the same page with his daughter, who supports a different presidential candidate than he does.
“We are discussing it. I present my views. She presents hers. I very much understand how she feels about things,” he said.
Local issues are also on their minds, with school board and city council races also on the ballot.
“I wanted to make sure that our priorities were focused on education, focused on things that matter, locally and nationally,” said voter Eugeni Villanueva.