How to Vote in Virginia's 2024 Elections

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• Deadline to register: Tuesday, Oct. 15
• Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot: Friday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m.
• First day of early voting: Friday, Sept. 20
• Last day of early voting: Saturday, Nov. 2
• General election: Tuesday, Nov. 5
  

• Voter registration: Use the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal to check your registration status.

• Absentee voting: All registered voters can vote absentee by mail, but you’ll need to apply to do so.

• Early in-person voting: You can vote early and in person at your local registrar’s office or nearby satellite location from Friday, Sept. 20, through Saturday, Nov. 2.

• Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. You’ll need to show an acceptable form of identification, such as a Virginia driver’s license, or sign an ID confirmation statement to vote at the polls.

Witness signatures are no longer required on absentee ballots under a 2023 law. Instead, registered voters must include the last four digits of their Social Security number and their birth year. You may use your voter ID number if you do not have a Social Security number.

A 2024 law requires that voters are notified of any changes to their polling place within 30 days of an election. Previously, the law only required 15 days. If a polling place changes, a notice must be posted at the previous location.

Register online, by mail or in person.

• Online: Use the elections department’s Citizen Portal. You’ll need a Virginia driver’s license or state ID card, your Social Security number and your date of birth.
  
• By mail: Download and complete a registration application, then mail it to your registrar’s office. Or call your registrar’s office to request a form. You can also pick up a registration form at public libraries, Department of Motor Vehicles sites, armed forces recruitment offices or other locations.

Andrew Harnik/AP Photo

• In person: Fill out and submit an application at your registrar's office.

The deadline to register for the general election is Tuesday, Oct. 15 — by 5 p.m. if in person or by 11:59 p.m. if online. Mailed applications must be postmarked by that date.
If you miss the October deadline, you still can participate in same-day registration through Election Day.

Once the regular registration deadline has passed, you still can sign up at an early voting site, at your registrar’s office or at your polling place to cast a provisional ballot through Election Day.

Bring an acceptable form of ID, such as a current or expired Virginia driver’s license or valid U.S. passport.

Check your registration status using the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.

Any registered voter can apply for an absentee-by-mail ballot without a reason.

• Online: Use the elections department’s Citizen Portal, or email or fax a completed application to your registrar’s office.

• By mail: Download and complete an application, then mail it to your registrar’s office. You can also call your registrar’s office to request an application.

• In person: Complete and return an application to your registrar’s office.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25.
You may apply for an emergency absentee ballot if hospitalization, illness or the death of an immediate family member caused you to miss the absentee application deadline or keeps you from voting at the polls.

Military and overseas voters have different absentee deadlines and instructions.

Return your absentee ballot by mail or in person:

• By mail: Mail your completed ballot to your local registrar’s office in the preaddressed, postage-paid envelope provided. Your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) and received no later than noon on Friday, Nov. 8.

• In person: Hand-deliver your ballot to your registrar’s office or any polling place within your county or city before 7 p.m. on Election Day. Other ballot drop-off locations may be available in your county or city. Check with your registrar for other ballot drop-off locations.

Track your ballot by entering your information into Ballot Scout or, if you live in Fairfax County, BallotTrax. Voters in Prince William County also can track their ballot using BallotTrax.

You can vote early and in person from Friday, Sept. 20, through Saturday, Nov. 2, at your registrar’s office or at a nearby satellite polling location.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can cast a ballot after polls close if you were in line before 7 p.m.

You’ll need an acceptable form of ID — like a current or expired Virginia driver’s license or U.S. military ID — or you’ll need to sign an ID confirmation statement. If you don’t sign the statement, you’ll receive a provisional ballot and will receive instructions on how to make sure your vote is counted.

Polling places in Virginia offer accessible parking spaces, accessible voter booths and other accommodations to those who need assistance. If you are 65 or older or have a disability, you can participate in curbside voting and cast your ballot from your vehicle.



Editor’s note: This guide was originally published on Jan. 3, 2024, and has been updated with new information.

Elissa Chudwin covers federal and state policy and writes the podcast Today’s Tips from AARP. She previously worked as a digital producer for The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California, and as an editor for Advocate magazines in Dallas.

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