Virginia voters have a full ballot this election.
The presidential picks top the list, followed by a U.S. Senate race, U.S. House of Representative seats, a state constitutional amendment, county, city and town council seats, school boards, sheriffs and in some places, special elections and unique locality-specific positions.
It’s a lot to remember, so here’s a breakdown of how to cast your vote in Virginia.
(And once you’ve figured out the logistics, you can check out our rundown of who and what are actually on the ballot HERE.)
Important voter registration dates
If you want to register to vote in advance and cast a regular ballot – not a provisional ballot -- at any point during election season, you should register to vote by Oct. 15.
Starting Oct. 16, you can register to vote on the same day you cast a ballot, but you’ll be casting a provisional ballot and you’ll have to provide paperwork after submitting your ballot to confirm that you were actually eligible to vote in the election.
Local electoral boards have until Nov. 15, 10 days after Election Day, to certify all provisional ballots.
If you will be out of town or otherwise unable to make it to vote in-person, you can apply for a mail-in ballot by Oct. 25. Your application must be received by your local registrar’s office by 5 p.m. that day or you can do it online.
Nov. 2 is the last day of in-person early voting. After that, you’ll have to wait until Election Day on Nov. 5 to cast your ballot.
If you’re using a mail-in ballot, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the registrar by noon on the third day following the election – Nov. 8 for this year’s election.
Your local registrar's office helps with advance registration, absentee ballots and offers early in-person voting starting Sept. 20. Find yours below:
Virginia’s Election Day is really an election season, with a long early voting period.
In-person early voting is almost exactly the same as voting on Election Day, but there are limited polling locations. Local registrar offices can accommodate in-person early voting, but there may be satellite locations in larger cities and counties.
Find your satellite early voting locations below. Not every locality has satellite locations.
You’ll need an ID to vote, which can include a driver’s license, student ID from any public or private Virginia high school or college, a U.S. passport or a voter ID card issued by the Department of Elections. Here’s a complete list of acceptable ID forms.
If you forget your ID or have issues with the ID you bring to the polls, you will still be able to cast a provisional ballot which will be official as long as you provide acceptable ID by noon on the Friday after Election Day – Nov. 8.
Absentee or mail-in voting is also an option for people who will be out of town on Election Day or otherwise unable to get to a polling location during early voting.
Voters have until Oct. 25 to request a mail-in ballot by applying online or going to their local registrar’s office.
The application can be returned by mail, fax or emailed to your local registrar. Registrars can begin mailing ballots 45 days before Election Day, which is a few days after in-person early voting begins this year.
Military and overseas voting
If you’re in the military or an “overseas citizen,” like a military dependent who’s been stationed outside of the U.S., you can register to vote and apply to vote absentee electronically as long as you have an ID card issued by the Virginia DMV.
If you don’t have an ID issued by the Virginia DMV, but still think you should be eligible to vote in Virginia elections, you can apply to register to vote and vote absentee using the federal postcard application.
It can be returned to the Virginia Department of Elections via email.
If you’re already registered and have applied for your ballot but don’t receive it in time to return it by Election Day, you may use a Federal Write-in Absentee ballot, or “back-up” ballot.
The website will ask you a series of questions to identify what belongs on your ballot, but you can double-check on the state’s website as well.
Election Day voting
If you’re voting on Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling place.
You can check where to go – and to make sure your registration is updated – online. If your registration isn’t updated, you can register at the polls.
If there are any issues with your registration, ID or ballot, you will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. You will have until the Friday after Election Day at noon to provide documentation to confirm your eligibility and ensure your ballot is counted.
Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 7, you will be allowed to vote.
