Last updated on October 22, 2019 - as always, it's best to double check with your state for any recent changes to election rules in your state: Virginia Election Website
Virginia voter registration
In Person: 22 days before Election Day.
By Mail: Postmarked 22 days before Election Day.
Online: 22 days before Election Day.
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To register in Virginia you must:
be a citizen of the United States;
be a resident of Virginia and of the precinct in which you want to vote;
be 18 years old by the next general election;
not have been convicted of a felony, or have had your civil rights restored; and
not currently be declared incapacitated by a court.
Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Virginia absentee ballots
In Person: 3 days before Election Day.
By Mail: 7 days before Election Day.
Online: 7 days before Election Day.
Election Day.
You may vote by absentee ballot in Virginia if:
you are a student (or the spouse of a student) attending college or university outside of your Virginia locality
you have business outside your county/city of residence on Election Day
you have personal business or vacation outside county/city of residence on Election Day
you are working and commuting to/from home for 11 or more hours between 6am and 7pm on Election Day
you are a first responder (member of law enforcement, fire fighter, emergency technician, search and rescue)
you have a disability or illness
you are primarily and personally responsible for the care of a disabled/ill family member confined at home
you are pregnant
you are confined, and awaiting trial, or convicted of a misdemeanor
you are an electoral board member, registrar, officer of election, or custodian of voting equipment
you have a religious obligation that prevents you from voting on Election Day
you are an active duty member of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine (or the spouse of an active duty member)
you are temporarily residing outside of the US
you moved to another state less than 30 days before a presidential election (you will only receive a ballot for the presidential/vice-presidential election; ballots for other offices/issues will not be sent)
you are an authorized representative of candidate or party serving inside the polling place
you have been granted a protective order by a court
Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
Sign and date where indicated.
Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
Your voted ballot must arrive by the deadline or it will not be counted.
Virginia early voting
45 days before Election Day.
No early voting, but you can vote absentee in-person if you have a valid excuse for not being able to vote on Election Day.
3 days before Election Day.
No early voting, but you can vote absentee in-person if you have a valid excuse for not being able to vote on Election Day.
Virginia voter ID
All Virginia voters must bring one of the following forms of photo ID to vote early or on Election Day:
A Virginia driver’s license or Photo ID
A Veteran’s ID from the Virginia DMV
US Military ID
A US Passport or Passport Card
A student photo ID issued by any institution of higher education or any private school in Virginia
Another photo ID issued by the federal government, Virginia, or a local body of Virginia government
An employee photo ID issued by your employer
Tribal enrollment or other tribal ID if issued by one of 11 tribes recognized by Virginia
Nursing home resident ID if issued by a government facility
You do not need to provide ID to cast an absentee ballot by mail in Virginia. If you vote absentee in person, you will be required to bring photo ID. See the section on In-Person Voter ID Requirements for a complete list of acceptable forms of photo ID to bring to the polls.
Local Election Office: This is the government office responsible for running elections in your region. Theses are the best people to contact if you have any questions at all about voting in your state.