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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.
Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Virginia:
In Virginia, all polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
To vote in Virginia, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Virginia, and at least 18 years of age.[3]
Registration can be completed online, in person at a local voter registration office, or by mail. Voters can also register at the following locations:[3]
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| —Virginia Department of Elections | ||
The deadline to register is 22 days before a primary or general election.[3]
On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed SB219 into law, establishing automatic voter registration for individuals conducting business with the Department of Motor Vehicles.[5]
Virginia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Virginia allows same-day voter registration in-person at local registrars' offices, satellite early voting sites during the early voting period, and at the precinct on Election Day.[3]
To register to vote in Virginia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Virginia does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who makes a materially false statement may be "sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, or up to 12 months in jail and/or fined up to $2,500."[6]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[7] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
This page, run by the Virginia Department of elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Virginia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
All Virginia voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail. There are no special requirements to be eligible to vote absentee/by mail. Voters may request an absentee ballot online or complete a paper absentee ballot request form and return it to their local voter registration office by mail, fax, or email. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day.[8][9]
Completed ballots must be returned to the local registrar's office or an official drop off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day. If mailed, completed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within three days of the election in order to be counted.[8]
On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed HB1 and SB111 into law, establishing no-excuse absentee voting 45 days prior to an election. The legislation was in effect for the November 3, 2020 election.[5]
On the same day, Northam also signed HB238 and SB455, providing for absentee ballots postmarked on or before the date of an election to be counted if received by noon on the third day after the election.[5]
Voters can return absentee ballots by mail or in person. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by election day and returned to a voter's general registrar's office by noon on the third day following the election. Ballots returned in person must be received by the local general registrar's office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters also have the option to return their ballot to an absentee ballot drop-off location, which vary by jurisdiction.[8]
In Virginia, only the voter may return and absentee ballot in person. According to an October 2023 opinion from the state attorney general, a third-party return a ballot at a voter's request. Virginia law also allows a designated representative to return an emergency ballot for a voter who is incapacitated or hospitalized. The representative must complete a statement, in which false statement is considered a felony.[10][11][12]
As of November 2024, 20 states allowed anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf, with certain exceptions, while 16 states allowed anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot. Four states allowed only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions, and two states required voters to return their ballots by mail. Eight states and D.C. did not specify who may return ballots.
Absentee/mail-in ballots in Virginia include a return envelope printed with an oath that must be signed by the voter. Maryland law includes a cure provision,
| “ | After the voter has marked his absentee ballot, he shall (a) enclose the ballot in the envelope provided for that purpose, (b) seal the envelope, (c) fill in and sign the statement printed on the back of the envelope, (d) enclose the ballot envelope and any required assistance form within the envelope directed to the general registrar, and (e) seal that envelope.[10][4] | ” |
Virginia law includes a cure provision by which absentee/mail-in voters can correct certain errors on their ballots.
| “ | If the general registrar finds during the examination of the ballot envelope that the required voter affirmation was not correctly or completely filled out or that a procedure required by § 24.2-707 was not properly followed, and such error or failure would render the ballot void by law, the general registrar shall enter into the voter's record in the voter registration system that the absentee/mail-in ballot has an issue requiring correction in order for it to be counted. ... Within three days of such finding, the registrar shall notify the voter in writing or by email of the error or failure and shall provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue so his ballot may be counted. The voter shall be entitled to make such necessary corrections before noon on the third day after the election...[13][4] | ” |
As of November 2024, 33 states had laws that included cure provisions, while 17 states did not. One state, Pennsylvania, allowed counties to establish a cure process.
Use the Citizen Portal tool provided by the Virginia Department of Elections to check the status of your absentee/mail-in ballot.
According to the Department of Elections website, "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."[14][15]
The following documents were considered acceptable identification for voting as of May 2023:[14]
Click here to learn more about the background of Virginia's law.
As of November 2024, 35 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 15 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.
Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.
Voters in Virginia are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances:[16][2]
(1) If the voter does not have the proper identification, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(2) If the election officers are unable to find the voter’s name in the poll book, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(3) If there is any question regarding the voter’s eligibility to vote, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
| “ | After completing the provisional ballot, the individual voting will be given written instructions from the election officials on how to submit a copy of his/her identification or sign and submit an ID Confirmation Statement so that his/her vote can be counted. A voter will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the identification or sign and submit an ID Confirmation Statement to the local electoral board. Voters may submit a copy of their ID of ID Confirmation Statement via fax, email, in-person submission, or through USPS or commercial delivery service. Please note that the copy of the ID or signed ID Confirmation Statement must be delivered to the electoral board by noon on the Friday following the election, or the provisional ballot cannot be counted. A Friday postmark will not be sufficient if either of these are not delivered to the electoral board by noon on Friday.[16][4] | ” |
A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:[17]
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Virginia utilizes an open primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[18][19]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed HB108 and SB601 into law, establishing Election Day as a state holiday.[5]
As of September 2024, 28 states required employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies varied as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.
According to Virginia's constitution, people convicted of a felony lose their civil rights, including their right to vote, regaining them only with a pardon from the governor or another appropriate authority on an individual basis.
To restore their voting rights, individuals may apply for restoration of their civil rights from the governor in the manner established by the contemporaneous administration. The Department of Corrections must provide information on these procedures–click here for more information. People convicted of a felony may also petition the courts for a restoration of their civil rights. To learn more about this process, click here.[20]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[21]
All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[22] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[23]
Virginia law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[24]
Virginia law requires election officials to conduct an annual voter registration maintenance program using National Change of Address data and other data resources. If election officials determine that a voter may have moved, state law requires them to send a forwardable notice. If the notice returned as undeliverable or if the voter does not respond within 30 days, they are to be listed in inactive status. If they remain in inactive status through two general elections, their registration is canceled.[24]
According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."[25]
By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of May 2024, 24 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.[26]
As of August 2023, Virginia was not participating in the ERIC program.
Commissioner of Elections Susan J. Beals withdrew Virginia from ERIC on May 11, 2023, saying, "With the recent departures of seven state members, we have reviewed the effectiveness of our continued participation with ERIC. ... In short, ERIC’s mandate has expanded beyond that of its initial intent – to improve the accuracy of voter rolls."[27] Virginia's resignation became effective on August 9, 2023.
Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) Executive Director David Becker, who was involved in the development of ERIC, responded, "Right now, Virginia has the most accurate voter list it's ever had in its history. That is going to decline over time. ... They know ERIC is helping their voter lists, but they're succumbing to the disinformation and the pressure that comes with it."[28]
Virginia state law requires post-election audits. The local board of registrars conducts a post-election risk-limiting audit of ballot scanner machines, which includes a hand count of a random sample of ballots. The procedures for conducting the audit are created by the Virginia Department of Elections. Discrepancies are documented in a report created by the local board of registrars. The audit is conducted "after the election has been certified and the period to initiate a recount has expired." Audits have no effect on election results.[29]
Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[30][31]
Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.
As of October 2024, 49 states and the District of Columbia had some form of post-election audit by law. Of these, 35 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, while six states required risk-limiting post-election audits by law. Eight states used some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.[32][33]
On June 28, 2021, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed the following bills into law, making a series of changes to Virginia's election administration procedures:[34]
On April 7, 2021, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed SB1395, legislation prohibiting discrimination in voting and election administration on the basis of race. According to a bill summary prepared by Virginia's Legislative Information System, SB1395 made the following modifications to Virginia's election laws:[38]
The Virginia State Senate adopted the bill on February 5, 2021. The Virginia House of Delegates followed suit on February 15, 2021. On March 31, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam (D) recommended amendments to the law. On April 7, 2021, the Senate voted 21-19 to accept these amendments, with all Democrats voting in favor and all Republicans in opposition. That same day, the House also agreed to the governor's amendments, with the chamber's 55 Democrats voting in favor and its 45 Republicans in opposition. [38]
Northam said, "At a time when voting rights are under attack across our country, Virginia is expanding access to the ballot box, not restricting it. With the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, our Commonwealth is creating a model for how states can provide comprehensive voter protections that strengthen democracy and the integrity of our elections. I am proud to support this historic legislation, and I urge Congress to follow Virginia’s example." State Senator Jill Vogel (R), who voted against the bill, said, "Consider if every locality, for every decision they made, was subject to some kind of litigation and somebody trying to impugn the integrity of their decision-making. It is a full employment act for lawyers."[39][40]
On April 12, 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed the following election policy bills into law:[5]
On March 15, 2017, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) vetoed two election policy bills, HB 2343 and SB 872. HB 2343 would have required the Virginia Department of Elections to submit to local registrars lists of voters identified as having been registered to vote in another state. HB 2343 was sponsored by Delegate Robert Bell (R), who said, "Information would be provided to the general registrars from each county or city when it's found that one of their voters is also registered in another state, and it gives them the liberty to do what they want to do with that information." McAuliffe vetoed the bill, saying, "This bill would invite confusion and increase the possibility of violating federal law. Moreover, it would expose eligible and properly registered Virginians to the risk of improper disenfranchisement." SB 872, which was sponsored by Senator Amanda Chase (R), would have required a voter applying for an absentee ballot by mail, fax, telephone, or electronic transmission to submit a copy of a photo ID. The bill would have exempted military and overseas voters, as well as voters with disabilities. SB 872 was identical to HB 1428, which was vetoed by McAuliffe on March 3, 2017.[41][42][43][44]
| On the Ballot takes a look at the early returns from state election-related legislative activity in 2025. |
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Virginia. The following information is included for each bill:
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
Ballotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state. These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Below are links to the most recent editions. Click here to see all past reports, and be on the lookout for more throughout the year!
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.
In order to get on the ballot in Virginia, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Virginia. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Virginia's 11 United States Representatives and 140 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[45][46][47][48]
Virginia was apportioned 11 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Virginia after the 2020 census.
On November 3, 2020, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing a commission-driven congressional and state legislative redistricting process. The 16-member commission comprises eight legislators and eight non-legislator members. Leaders of the legislature's two largest political parties select legislators to serve on the commission. The commission's eight citizen members are recommended by legislative leaders and selected by a committee of five retired circuit court judges. The commissioners themselves select one of the eight citizens to serve as chairperson.[49]
District maps are subject to the following consensus requirements:[49]
The commission submits its maps to the General Assembly, which can vote to approve the maps or reject them. The General Assembly cannot amend the maps. If the General Assembly rejects a map, the commission must draft a second map. If the General Assembly rejects that map, the Virginia Supreme Court is tasked with enacting a new map.[49][50]
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Virginia can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Virginia Local Voter Registration Offices
Virginia Department of Elections
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
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