The Fairfax County Republican Committee is warning that the secret ballot could be at risk in Virginia’s largest county due to a flawed absentee ballot return envelope design that could reveal votes for Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares.

In a letter sent Friday to Fairfax County General Registrar Eric Spicer, GOP Chairwoman Katie Gorka said the design “creates several risks,” including the potential for certain ballots to be identified and selectively removed before counting — a violation of state and federal law.

“The bigger story is that a lot of election changes were made during COVID-19. Why have we left all of the COVID-19 measures in place? No-excuse absentee voting, 45 days of early voting, and this weird paper shortage the county has apparently had since 2021,” Gorka told The Daily Signal.

The issue, she said, could compromise both election integrity and voter confidence. The problem appears limited to Fairfax County, a politically significant region near Washington, D.C., where Miyares faces Democratic challenger Jay Jones in the 2025 attorney general race. (RELATED: Hundreds of Thousands of Virginians Cast their Vote Before Jay Jones Scandal)

On Monday, the Fairfax County Office of Elections responded with guidance for concerned voters. The county advised mail voters to fold their ballots so selections are not visible, track ballot status online, and, if necessary, vote provisionally in person on Election Day.

The county did not directly address the GOP’s concerns or confirm whether changes will be made but echoed similar advice outlined in the Republican letter. The Fairfax GOP requested that voters who have not yet mailed their ballots submit them at polling sites instead and that mail voters ensure their marked ballots are inserted to conceal selections. (RELATED: Virginia AG Candidate Jay Jones Under Fire for Disturbing Text Messages)