2024 VIRGINIA VOTER GUIDE
1.Voter Registration
Deadline to Register/Update: October 28, 2024
In-Person Registration available on Election Day
2. Check Your Registration
Why check your registration? Your address is where election officials send notices, application forms to receive your ballot in the mail, and more. Additionally, poll workers will check if the address on your voter registration matches the address on your ID at the polls.
Check/Update Your Registration Online
Checklist:
- Is your name spelled correctly? (Correct hyphenations, middle initials, etc)
- Correct Address
- Active Voter Status (if not update by sending in another online/mail voter application)
- Correct Date of Birth
- Correct Political Party Preference
- Take a time-stamped photograph or screenshot of your registration, and take it with you to the polls as proof of your registration.
3. Voter ID Law
Source: Ballotpedia
All voters casting a ballot in-person will be asked to show one form of identification. Any voter who does not present acceptable identification may instead sign a statement, subject to felony penalties, that they are the named registered voter who they claim to be. Any voter who does not present acceptable identification or sign this statement must vote a provisional ballot.
The following documents were considered acceptable identification for voting as of May 2023:
- Virginia driver’s license or DMV-issued ID card
- Valid employee ID, containing a photo, issued by the voter’s employer in ordinary course of business
- U.S. military ID
- Valid student ID, containing a photo, issued by any public or private school college, or university
- Valid student ID issued by a public or private school high school, college, or university in Virginia (with or without a photo)
- Valid U.S. passport or passport card
- ID card issued by the federal government or a Virginia state or local authority.
- Voter ID card issued by the department of elections
- Voter confirmation documents
- Valid tribal enrollment or ID issued by one of the 11 tribes recognized in Virginia
- Government nursing home resident ID
- Any other current government document containing the name and address of the voter
- Signed ID Confirmation Statement
4. Order Your Absentee Mail Ballot
Deadline to apply for Absentee Mail Ballot: Must be received by 5:00 PM on October 25, 2024
We recommend requesting your absentee mail ballot as soon as possible and well in advance of this deadline in order to ensure that you receive your ballot in time.
- Voters have the option to vote absentee in the next election or to automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections. Voters who choose to receive an absentee ballot for all future elections must sign up for the permanent absentee list by applying online through the Citizen Portal: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation
Apply for Absentee Mail Ballot Online
Track Absentee Mail Ballot Online
- If you are a voter in Fairfax County and submitted an application to vote absentee, please track your ballot here.
- If you are a voter in Prince William County and submitted an application to vote absentee, please track your ballot here.
Deadline to return Mail Ballot: Must be postmarked or returned in person by 7:00 PM on November 5, 2024
Surrendering your Absentee Mail Ballot:
- Virginia has a surrender rule. If you have a desire to vote in person on election day but you are registered to vote via Absentee Ballot, then you should bring your ballot to surrender and then vote in person using an official ballot.
- But if you do not have your absentee ballot to surrender, there does not seem to be an electronic poll book in Virginia that will allow you to vote with an official ballot, and you will be forced to vote with a provisional ballot.
- If you lost or never received your ballot, you can vote a provisional ballot at the polling place on Election Day. This ballot will not be counted on Election Day. However, once it is verified that your absentee ballot was never received by the Office of Elections, your provisional ballot will be processed.
- If you requested an absentee ballot by mail, but then become able to cast your ballot on Election Day, just bring your absentee ballot with you to the polls. You can vote once you turn your ballot over to an election officer.
- If you forget or lose your absentee ballot, you can vote a provisional ballot at the polling place on Election Day. This ballot will not be counted on Election Day. However, once it is verified that your absentee ballot was never received by the Office of Elections, your provisional ballot will be processed.
5. Early Voting Information
Early voting is available from September 20 – November 2, 2024.
- Find a list of early voting locations here: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/ Remember, the Saturday before Election Day is the last day to vote early.
- You do not have to have a reason or fill out an application to vote early.
- At the registrar’s office or satellite voting location, you must provide your name and address and show an acceptable form of ID or sign an ID Confirmation Statement. To view a complete list of acceptable IDs, please visit our page. If acceptable identification is not provided, you must sign an ID Confirmation Statement or a provisional ballot will be offered and you are allowed until the Friday at noon following the election to provide a copy of acceptable identification to the electoral board or sign an ID Confirmation Statement. Provisional voters receive a notice to remind them of the deadline and right to attend the electoral board meeting.
- Accessible equipment and/or curbside voting is available upon request.
For more information regarding federal, state and local elections contact your state election official online: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/index.html or contact the Virginia Department of Elections by phone: 804.864.8901 or email: info@elections.virginia.gov
6. Become a Poll Worker!
Poll workers must be 18 years old or over, and a registered voter (if over 18) in their county.
To sign up, visit: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/officer-of-elections/