How To Vote In Virginia

How To Vote In Virginia

Virginians, make your voices heard this election day!  Here are some of the new rules about how to vote in Virginia for the upcoming presidential election on November 3, 2020 and beyond:

Election day is now a state holiday in Virginia

Effective July 1, 2020, election day became a state holiday.  State workers will have the day off!

Register To Vote

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, October 13, 2020 for the November 3, 2020 election.

You can register to vote online at the Virginia Department of Elections citizen portal:

www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal

1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Go.
2. Enter your name, date of birth, last 4 digits of your Social Security number and your locality.
3. Check the certification box
4. You will now see your voter record

If you don’t appear in the system, you can contact your local registrar.  Registrar contact information is located at www.elections.virginia.gov/LocalGR

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 (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)
• not have been convicted of a felony, or have had your civil rights restored
• not currently be declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
• *find more information on voting rights restoration here

What to bring:

• You will need to show ID to vote in Virginia. Acceptable forms of valid ID include: voter registration confirmation documents; a valid Virginia driver’s license (expired or unexpired), a valid United States passport, or any other identification issued by the the state of Virginia, one of its political subdivisions, or the United States; any valid student identification card issued by any institution of higher education located in any state or territory of the United States; any valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer’s business; tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID; Virginia Voter Photo ID card; or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter.
• Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you are required to sign a statement that you are the registered voter you claim to be in order to cast a ballot. A voter who does not show one of the required forms of identification and does not complete or sign the statement shall be offered a provisional ballot. After completing the provisional ballot, you will be given written instructions from the election officials on how to submit a copy of your ID so that your vote can be counted. You will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the ID to the local electoral board.

Early Voting

Virginia voters can vote before Election Day.  The early voting period runs from Friday, September 18, 2020 to Saturday, October 31, 2020 at your local registrar’s office.  Call your local registrar before you head out to vote.  Dates and times for voting may be subject to local office hours, but some registrar’s offices have even announced Saturday hours.