VIRGINIA (DC News Now) — Virginia voters headed to the polls on Tuesday for Election Day. The balance of power in Virginia’s General Assembly was on the line, as well as other local races across the Commonwealth.

The outcome of the elections could have an effect on Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s proposals on topics like education, taxes and abortion. They could also be an indication of the 2024 presidential elections.

All 40 state senate seats and 100 state house seats are on the ballot. Voters said it was important to come out and vote on Tuesday.

“I think every chance you have an opportunity to go out and vote and have a say in who’s going to be making the choices for you and for the people you live with, it’s an important thing to do,” said Emily Donovan, who headed to a polling place in Falls Church to vote before 7 a.m.

“It’s my duty to come out and vote. It’s a big election in Virginia this year. We want to see if the Democrats can get control of the Senate back,” she added.

Some voters also said that local races — especially school board races in places like Fairfax County — brought them to the polls.

Youngkin also had his eyes on the election. He made stops at several polling locations across Virginia on Tuesday.

DC News Now caught up with him in Haymarket as met with voters and people volunteering at Haymarket Elementary School.

“I’m inviting everybody — please come out and vote. These are incredibly important elections. And I also think this is a chance for us to choose a path of hope. I believe the other side is really just a path of fear. And I think hope beats fear every day of the week. We’ve really demonstrated that we know how to create jobs,” said Youngkin.

“And I just ask Virginians, send me a team in Richmond that will work with me, not against me. And we can, in fact, hold our House and flip our Senate today,” he added.

Youngkin said he was hoping his party would hold the General Assembly, in part to help pass some of his proposals.

“That’s why we work so hard because I really have felt that the liberal left in the Senate has stood in the way of so many things that are good for Virginia,” Youngkin said. “I mean, at the end of the day, we’ve been working to reduce the burden of taxes on Virginians.”

Some of the contentious races in Northern Virginia were for the 31st District in Loudon County, the 30th District in Prince William County and the 33rd and 35th to 40th districts in Fairfax County

The 40th District is a new seat up for grabs because of the recent redistricting.