The future leadership of our nation and our city will be decided in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election.

While formally that is Election Day, voters have been able to cast ballots since Sept. 18 as Virginia embraced early voting for the first time. For those who haven’t voted early in person or by mail, the polls will open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. People in line at 7 p.m. still will be able to vote.

Topping the ballot in Richmond and across the country will be the contest for president. Three teams of candidates will be on the ballot in this high-stakes election.

The major party choices are Democrats Joseph R. Biden and his vice presidential running mate, U.S. Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California, and Republican incumbents Donald J. Trump and his vice presidential running mate, Michael R. Pence.

A Libertarian candidate team also will be on the presidential ballot: Jo Jorgensen and her vice presidential ticket mate, Jeremy F. “Spike” Cohen.

Richmond voters also will elect a mayor along with members of the City Council and the School Board to four-year terms that will begin Jan. 1, 2021.

The mayor is chosen citywide, while the ballot for each voter will include the names of the council and School Board candidates seeking to represent the district in which the voter lives.

The ballot will list six people vying for Richmond mayor, although one, Michael J. Gilbert, has dropped out of the race.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney is seeking re-election to a second term. His challengers are Richmond City Councilwoman Kimberly B. “Kim” Gray, attorney M. Justin Griffin, domestic worker advocate Alexsis E. Rodgers and business owner Tracey V. McLean.

To win the mayor’s race, a candidate must win more votes than anyone else on the ballot in five of the city’s nine districts. If no candidate wins five districts, then a run-off election will occur between the two people who receive the most votes citywide.

This Election Section includes information about the candi- dates and their views on issues, except for those who did not respond to or return a candidates’ questionnaire to the Richmond Free Press.

Separately, city voters will help choose a member of the U.S. Senate and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, a former Virginia governor, is running for a third, six-year term. A Democrat, he is Virginia’s senior senator, having first taken office in January 2009. He is being challenged by Republican Daniel M. Gade, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who teaches at American University.

U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin of Richmond also is running for his third, two-year term representing the 4th Congressional District, which includes Richmond and all or parts of 15 other localities, including Henrico, Chesterfield, Charles City County, Petersburg and Prince George County to Chesapeake. A Democrat, he is being challenged by Republican Leon Benjamin Sr., senior pastor and bishop of New Life Harvest Church in Richmond.

In adjacent Henrico County, U.S. Rep. Abigail A. Spanberger, a Democrat, is running for a second, two-year term representing the 7th Congressional District, which includes large portions of Henrico and Chesterfield and all or parts of seven other localities, including Goochland County and Spotsylvania County.

She is being challenged by Republican Nick J. Freitas of Culpeper, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since January 2016.

Virginia voters also will decide whether two amendments will be added to the Virginia Constitution.

The first one asks whether the state Constitution should be changed to establish a 16-member redistricting commission to redraw state and congressional districts.

The commission would be made up of eight citizens and eight members of the General Assembly. Their redistricting maps would have to be approved by the General Assembly, but could not be changed by the legislature. If the commission fails, or the General Assembly fails to approve the lines by certain deadlines, then redistricting would become the responsibility of the Virginia Supreme Court, according to the proposed amendment.

The second proposed amendment asks whether a vehicle owned and used primarily by or for a military veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected injury be exempt from state and local taxes.

Voters will be asked to vote yes or no on both amendment questions.

For additional information about what’s on the ballot, or with help to find your voting precinct, contact the Virginia Department of Elections at www.elections.virginia.gov or (800) 552-9745. Information also is available at the Richmond Voter Registrar’s Office, www.richmondgov.com/registrar/ or (804) 646-5950.