Early voting begins Friday for the Nov. 3 general election, and registrars in Gloucester and Mathews are encouraging voters to become familiar with their ballots before heading to the polls. In addition to local elections for Clerk of Court in Gloucester and Commonwealth’s Attorney in Mathews, voters will be choosing among candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, and they’ll be deciding whether to pass three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Mathews residents will also be voting on an additional 1 percent retail sales tax to generate revenue for school construction and renovation. Mathews Director of Elections Carla Faulkner said there’s a lot of information to review about the constitutional amendments on the ballot, and people should learn about them in advance. “We encourage you to educate yourself on the amendments before you receive your ballot, so you have time to read and understand the questions before making your selections,” she said. ...