Voting in
Virginia

Upcoming Election Dates & Deadlines

Upcoming Election: Primary Election

Election Day: November 5, 2024

Registration Deadline: November 5, 2024

Vote By Mail: yes

Vote By Mail Deadline: October 15, 2024

Early Voting: October 20 - 2, 2024

How to vote in Virginia

Virginia's election schedule

Virginia's Election Overview

In Virginia, you can register to vote online, by mail, or in person. Voting can be done in person or by absentee ballot. Bring a photo ID when voting in person.

Important Voting Links for Virginia

How to vote in Virginia

Absentee Ballot Process

Absentee voting is available and no excuse is required. The last day to request an absentee ballot is 11 days before an election. Voted ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by 12pm 3 days after the election in order to be counted. You can return your absentee ballot request form through mail, in person at your local elections office, or online. Note: You must obtain a witness to sign your ballot envelope for it to be counted. You can sign up to track your absentee ballot on your Department of Elections website. Absentee ballots must be processed but results cannot be announced before the polls close on Election Day. Requesting and Returning your Absentee Ballot You may now request an absentee ballot online! Just fill out and submit this form before the deadline (5pm 11 days before the election, or June 10 for June 21 Primary Election). You can request your absentee ballot at any time during the year; the form permits a permanent request ensuring that a voter continues receiving an absentee ballot without additional requests. Voted mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and be received by your local registrar by noon on the third day after the election in order to be counted. Note: absentee ballots require a witness signature. You can check the status of your absentee ballot with the Absentee Ballot Status Look Up tool. Emergency Absentee Voting You can apply for an emergency absentee ballot if you:

Are hospitalized or have an illness
You are dealing with a hospitalization, illness or death of a spouse, child or parent
Have another emergency found to justify an emergency absentee ballot

If you meet these requirements, you can have a designated representative request an absentee ballot through the day before the election. You must complete the application and deliver it to the local registrar’s office by 2pm the day before the election. Voted ballots must be returned before the polls close on Election Day. How to Vote in Person if Vote-by-Mail Ballot was Requested Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person: Voters must surrender their absentee ballots before receiving a regular ballot in person. If the voter does not bring their Vote by Mail ballot to the polls, they can still vote a regular ballot during the Early Voting by signing a Gold Form, but they will vote a Provisional Ballot on Election Day. However, if the pollbook indicates that the voter was not only issued a Vote by Mail ballot but also that the ballot was returned, the voter can only vote a Provisional Ballot that will be reviewed by the local Electoral Board to ensure that the individual only votes once. Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. For specifics, you can find your local county registrar contact info here.

Drop Boxes

Voters can hand-deliver their ballot to their local registrar or in a secure drop box. Voters can find the location of their local registrar here, including the location of all drop boxes. Drop boxes will be located at all satellite locations during the Early Voting period and at precinct polling locations on Election Day, plus other locations determined by local registrars.

Early Voting

Voters should check with their local registrar’s office for details on early voting opportunities in their locality, including in person, by mail, and drop boxes. Same-day registration also is available. All voters are eligible for absentee voting either in-person or by mail for 45 days before the election. You can request mail ballots be sent to you permanently. Note: a witness signature is required on all mail-in/drop-box absentee ballot envelopes. Check with your local registrar to see if absentee voting in person is available on Sundays in your area during the early voting period. For federal elections only, first-time voters in their county or city, who registered by mail, are qualified to vote by mail if a copy of a qualified ID is included with the completed ballot. For all non-federal elections, first-time voters in their county or city, who registered by mail, are qualified to vote by mail if a copy of a qualified ID is included with the completed ballot. Non-federal elections do not require a copy of an ID.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to register and vote, you must be:

A resident of Virginia (A person who has come to Virginia for temporary purposes and intends to return to another state is not considered a resident for voting purposes)
A U.S. Citizen
18 years old (Any person who is 17 years old and will be 18 years of age at the next general election shall be permitted to register in advance and also vote in any intervening primary or special election) (note: preregistration for 16 year-olds doesn’t go into effect until October 1, 2022).
Not claiming the right to vote in any other state
Not currently be declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
Not a convicted felon, unless you have had your right to vote restored

ID Needed for Voting

You must show an ID at the polls in order to vote. Acceptable forms of ID include:

Voter confirmation documents
Virginia driver’s license
Virginia DMV-issued photo ID
US Passport
US Military ID
Employer-issued photo ID
Student ID issued by any community college or university in the US
Other US or Virginia government issued photo ID
Tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID
Virginia Voter Photo ID card
A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document containing the name and address of the voter
Nursing home resident ID
Signed ID Confirmation Statement

If you forget your ID and don’t want to sign an ID Confirmation Statement, you can vote a provisional ballot that will only be counted if you bring the appropriate ID or a signed ID Confirmation Statement by Friday noon after the election. For a more detailed list of acceptable IDs, click here. Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Overseas and Military Voting

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation. If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use this online guide https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/military-overseas/.

Primary Election Process

Virginia is an “open primary” state. You can choose the party’s ballot you wish to vote. This decision does not register you with that party and it is a private decision. If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisional Voting

You may vote a provisional ballot, instead of a regular ballot, if you meet specific conditions. The local electoral board reviews each provisional ballot during its canvass of votes cast to determine if the vote will be counted. The first meeting of the electoral board to review provisional ballots is the day after Election Day and the process must be concluded within seven days. There are several reasons a voter may vote a provisional ballot:

The voter registered on Election Day or during Early Voting in-person
The voter’s name is not in the pollbook.
The pollbook indicates the person has already voted.
The General Registrar cannot confirm the voter is registered to vote.
The voter says they are registered to vote in this precinct and eligible in this election.
The pollbook indicates the person requested an Absentee Ballot, the ballot has not been returned, and don’t have the original absentee ballot with them.
The voter is voting in a split precinct and believes they have been registered in the incorrect district.
Polling hours are extended by court order. (Ballots cast after 7:00 PM are closed are kept separate from ALL other ballots.)
If a voter is challenged by another voter and will not sign the affirmation statement but insists on voting

The election official will tell you when and where the Electoral Board will meet and will give you a phone number to call and find out the status of your provisional ballot. Voters who do not bring a form of ID to the polls, and do not sign an ID Confirmation Statement, will be given the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot. Once you complete the provisional ballot, you will be given written instructions from the election official on how to submit a copy of your ID so that your vote can be counted. All information on how to submit the proper ID will be given at this time. You will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the ID, or sign and submit an ID Confirmation Statement, to the local election board in order for the provisional ballot to be counted. You can submit your ID, or signed ID Confirmation Statement, through fax, email, in person or through the USPS or a commercial delivery service. The copy of the ID, or signed ID Confirmation Statement, must be delivered by noon on Friday, a Friday postmark does not count.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

Any person, regardless disability status, has the right to register to vote at any office or agency that provides such a service. These offices include but are not limited to: Department of Health (VDH), Department of Social Services (DSS), Department of Mental Health (DMHRSAR), Department for Rehabilitation Services (DRS), Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH), and the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI). Your local registrar’s office also has registration forms and should be able to accommodate any special needs. In addition, you can download a voter registration form from the state board of elections website.

Curbside voting is available for people ages 65 and older, or any person with a disability or injury; all jurisdictions use paper ballots. An area for voting outside of the polling place will be clearly marked and with instructions prominently displayed on how the voter is to notify an officer of election of their request to vote outside of the polling place. The necessary materials will then be brought to you in your vehicle. You shall be afforded every opportunity to vote in a private and independent fashion.
You have the right to have an election officer or other person help you vote if you are physically disabled, unable to read or unable to write. Blind voters may also have any person assist them.
Voters with a visual impairment or print disability may electronically receive and mark an absentee ballot using a screen-assisted ballot making tool provided by the Department of Elections. These voters are still required to return physical copies of their ballots. General registrars are required to provide the voter with appropriate envelopes for the return of the ballot. One envelope will have to have a tactile marking that allows the voter to identify which envelope is the outer envelope when returning their ballot.
You may have anyone who is not your employer or union representative assist you. The officer of election or other person so designated who helps you prepare your ballot shall do so in accordance with your instructions, without soliciting your vote or in any manner attempting to influence your vote, and shall not in any manner divulge or indicate, by signs or otherwise, how you voted on any office or question. For individuals with vision impairments the state board of elections works to provide large print copies of all voting related material. Your local registrar’s office should have large print versions of all materials in circulation at this time.
In accordance with the Help America Vote Act, Virginia is in the process of making all of its polling places fully accessible to elderly voters and voters with disabilities. If you find that your polling place is not accessible for any reason please fill out the voter accessibility feedback form. The state board of elections is dedicated to providing the best voting experience possible, and will value your input and will keep any remarks confidential.
In accordance with the Help America Vote Act, every polling location in Virginia must be equipped with at least one accessible voting system that will allow all voters with a disability to vote in the same private and independent manner as a voter without a disability. If you require voting assistance due to a physical disability or inability to read or write, you can receive it upon request. Any of the election officers can advise you of your rights in this area. If you have cognitive disabilities, due to any reason, you can be eligible to vote if you are not currently ruled to be mentally incompetent by a court of law.

For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

Voting Machines

The voting machine systems used in Virginia is Optical Scan: Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards into the scanner. You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission’s (EAC) resource and the voting systems section here.