VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Lines formed in front of the Virginia Beach Registrar’s Office Friday morning ahead of the start of early voting in Virginia.

Early voting and absentee voting started Friday morning in Virginia, and election officials said it’s all about giving everyone a chance to make a difference.

10 On Your Side’s Raven Payne spoke with voters, who said they want to make sure their votes are kept safe.

“I would hope everybody’s vote is legal and every legal vote is counted. But, you know, if it’s your opportunity to get out and vote early, vote early, if you have other options, go ahead and do it if you need to exercise it,” said Bill Maslanka.

For some voters, like Cornelius Fields, it was their first time voting early.

He told 10 On Your Side what’s important to him this election.

“I’m a veteran, I’m a soldier. I respect vets. I respect what I did for 24 years of my life. And all veterans, all veterans, regardless if they’re liberal or conservative, deserve to be respected. That’s very close to me,” Fields said.

Just last month, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued order 35 to protect legal voters and to ensure accurate counting. Now, it is considered a class 6 felony to intentionally vote more than once, a class 5 felony to prevent an election official from administering elections and a class 1 misdemeanor to wrongfully cast a vote or deposit a ballot.

Virginia Beach Director of Elections Christine Lewis told 10 On Your Side what steps they took to make sure votes are safe.

“Our office is locked down 24/7,” Lewis said. “The only way you can get to the office is with a badge. Everyone has a secure badge that they use for access, and the voters will be able to get in through [that door] starting on Friday. Everything’s locked up. The ballots are locked up. We have cameras pointed down on the ballot, so we will know if something has been tampered with.”

Photos of the Virginia Beach Registrar’s Office shows a line of people waiting to cast their votes just before the doors opened at 8 a.m.

The last day to vote early is Nov. 2.

To vote early in-person, registered voters should go to the general registrar’s office in the jurisdiction they are registered. You’ll need to present an accepted form of ID.

Some jurisdictions offer early in-person voting at satellite locations in addition to the general registrar’s office. Click here to see if there is a satellite location near you.