Virginia | Voting Guide
Voting Guide
Virginia
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 22 days before Election Day
2020
Presidential Primary Election Registration Deadline: February 10
Presidential Primary Election: March 3
Primary Election Deadline: May 26
Primary Election: June 23
General Election Registration Deadline: October 13
General Election: November 3
Official Election Websites
More election information at www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-outreach
Online voter registration available at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation
Mail-in voter registration form available at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/veris-voter-registration/applications/Voter-Registration-Application.pdf
Register at School or Home
Students have a choice about where to register to vote.
Students attending college may register at their campus address or choose to remain registered or register at their permanent or home address.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
Virginia’s voter registration form requires voters to provide their full Social Security number when registering to vote. However, residents who register online can register using their Virginia-issued driver’s license or ID number.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Virginia law requires voters who cast a ballot in person to present ID. However, voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID can vote by signing a statement affirming their identity.
An acceptable form of ID can be:
A Virginia driver’s license or ID card issued by the Virginia DMV, U.S. passport, or any other photo ID issued by Virginia, one of its political subdivisions, or the U.S.
Voter confirmation documents
A non-photo ID issued by Virginia, a political subdivision of Virginia, or the United States
A valid student ID that does not contain the voter’s photograph, issued by any institute of higher education in Virginia, another state, or U.S. territory
Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or government document containing the voter’s name and current address
A valid employee ID card containing a photograph of the voter or
A tribal ID issued by any of the 11 recognized tribes in Virginia
A full list of acceptable IDs can be found at: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/photo-ids-required-to-vote/index.html. The expiration date on a Virginia driver’s license will not be considered.
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/PollingPlaceLookup
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
All Virginia voters may vote by mail.
If you have a Virginia driver’s license or ID card, you can request an absentee ballot online at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/Voterinformation.
If you do not have a Virginia driver’s license or ID card, you will need to fill out a paper application and email, mail, or fax it to your local registrar’s office. A copy of the form is available at https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/absentee-voting/applications/SBE-701-703.1.pdf.
Your registrar must receive your absentee ballot request application by 5:00 p.m. on the 11th day before Election Day.
Completed mail-in ballots will be counted as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received before noon on the third day after Election Day.
Early In Person
Any voter can apply for an in-person absentee ballot at their local board of Elections office and cast their absentee ballot at the same time, beginning 45 days before an election until 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday before Election Day.
Find your local board of elections and registrar office here: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/PublicContactLookup
Election Day
Voting sites will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by close of polls, you have a right to vote.
Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in Virginia affect my driver’s license or car registration?
With few exceptions, registering to vote in Virginia will have no impact on changing your driver’s license and motor vehicle registration. However, as a full-time student in Virginia, you may have to make changes regardless of whether you register to vote in Virginia. For more information contact the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Virginia legal professional.
Last updated September 2020
