WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: VIRGINIA 2020 ELECTIONS
What are the important deadlines?
| Friday, September 18, 2020 | Absentee Voting Begins! AND EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING begins at local Registrar's Office. |
| Monday, October 12, 2020 | Last day to register to vote online, by mail, or in-person at your registrar’s office. Norfolk Satellite EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING begins. |
| Monday, October 19, 2020 | Virginia Beach Satellite EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING begins. |
| Friday, October 23, 2020 | Last day to request an absentee ballot via the mail-in form |
| Tuesday, October 27, 2020 | Last day to request an absentee ballot via the online form |
| Saturday, October 31, 2020 | Last day for in-person EARLY VOTING at Registrar’s Office or Satellite location |
| Tuesday, November 3, 2020 | Election Day! |
| Friday, November 6, 2020 | Last day for mail-in ballots to be received by the registrar in order to be counted (Must be postmarked by November 3) |
How do I know if I am registered to vote?
You can check your voter registration status by clicking here. If you find out that you are not registered to vote, you can register online by clicking here or you can fill out a form and mail it to your registrar. The form is also available en español, tiếng việt, and 한 국어. With either method, you must be registered by Monday, October 12, 2020, in order to vote in the November 2020 elections.
How do I vote absentee? (Also called voting by-mail, vote from home or early voting)
There are two options for voting absentee in Virginia. Virginia law no longer requires voters to provide an excuse for voting absentee. Anyone can vote absentee for any reason now.
- You can vote via mail by requesting an absentee ballot be sent to your house. Details below.
- You can also vote EARLY in-person at the REGISTRAR'S OFFICE BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 18 or at a Satellite Location found here.
- Chesapeake IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING begins on September 18
- Norfolk IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING begins on October 12 at the Satellite locations.
- Virginia Beach IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING begins on October 19 at the Satellite locations.
Request an absentee ballot: By clicking here, you can apply to have an absentee ballot sent to your home. You can also apply for an absentee ballot by printing out and mailing in this form. You can use this tool to find out the mailing address for your local registrar.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot via mail is 7 days before Election Day if you are requesting via the online form. For the November elections, that is Tuesday, October 27, 2020. If you are mailing in the request form, it must be received 11 days prior to an election. For the November elections, that would be Friday, October 23, 2020. When you request an absentee ballot, you will receive your ballot in the mail with instructions on how to fill it out.
Your ballot will include two envelopes labeled A and B. Envelope A will include your actual ballot. Envelope B should be used to send your ballot back to the registrar. Make sure you follow the directions carefully and do not leave any fields blank. If information is missing, your ballot may not be counted. It is also very important that you remember to sign and date your ballot.
Once you have filled out your ballot and voted, you will mail your ballot back to your local registrar. Your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and be received by the registrar by no later than 12 pm three days after the election. If you are concerned that your ballot will not be received in time, you can also drop it off in person at the Registrar’s office.
New in 2020, all Virginia voters who cast absentee ballots will send their forms back in envelopes marked with tracking codes through a U.S. Postal Service Intelligent Mail barcode on both the outgoing envelopes and the included return envelopes for completed ballots back.
If you have questions about voting by mail, you can call your local election office. You can find the phone number by clicking here.
Can I still vote at my polling site on Election Day?
On Election Day (Tuesday, November 3), your normal polling location will be open from 6 am-7 pm. If you choose to vote on Election Day (remember- you can vote absentee for any reason), please take precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic including wearing a mask, bringing your own pen, etc.
Finding my polling place?
You can find your polling place by clicking here.
What do I need to vote?
Virginians are no longer required to show a photo ID at the polls. However, when you go to vote, you will be asked to provide identification. Here is a list of acceptable IDs:
