Virginia Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should check out the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

WARNING: If you register to vote by mail, you must vote in person the first time you vote unless you are a full time college student, on active duty military, residing overseas, physically handicapped, or age 65+ (with another qualifying reason, as age alone is not an excuse).  This restriction does not apply if you request a "presidential only" ballot.

Mail-In Deadlines

General Election: Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voter Registration

To register to vote 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 by the next May or November general 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

How to register to vote:

• Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form.  
• You can also download and complete Virginia’s voter registration form. Mail your completed form to your County Registrar.

ID requirements for first time voters:

If you are registering for the first time in Virginia and you register by mail, you must include a copy of your ID. If you forget, you'll need to provide ID the first time you vote in person or by absentee ballot.  Acceptable forms of identification include:a current and valid photo identification that shows your name or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and Virginia address.

Voter registration verification:

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can use the voter registration verification tools here.

Absentee Voting

Absentee voting rules:

If you register to vote by mail, you must vote in person the first time you vote unless you are a full time college student, on active duty military, residing overseas, physically handicapped, or age 65+ (with another qualifying reason, as age alone is not an excuse).  This restriction does not apply if you request a "presidential only" ballot.

Other registered voters may vote by absentee ballot if they fall into one of the following categories:

• Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his business, profession, or occupation or while on personal business or vacation, will be absent from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote;
• Any person who is (i) a member of a uniformed service of the United States, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1973ff-6(7), on active duty, or (ii) a member of the merchant marine of the United States, or (iii) who temporarily resides outside of the United States, or (iv) the spouse or dependent residing with any person listed in (i), (ii), or (iii), and who will be absent on the day of the election from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote.  
• Any student attending a school or institution of learning, or his spouse, who will be absent on the day of election from the county or city in which he is entitled to vote;
• Any person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of election because of a  disability, illness or pregnancy ;
• Any person who is confined while awaiting trial or for having been convicted of a misdemeanor, provided that the trial or release date is scheduled on or after the third day preceding the election. Any person who is awaiting trial and is a resident of the county or city where he is confined shall, on his request, be taken to the polls to vote on election day if his trial date is postponed and he did not have an opportunity to vote absentee;
• Any person who is a member of an electoral board, registrar, officer of election, or custodian of voting equipment;
• Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because he is primarily and personally responsible for the care of an ill or disabled family member who is confined at home; or
• Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because of an obligation occasioned by his religion.
• Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his business, profession, or occupation, will be at his place of work and commuting to and from his home to his place of work for eleven or more hours of the thirteen that the polls are open (6:00 AM to 7:00 PM).                                 
  

How to apply for an absentee ballot:

You can apply for an absentee ballot as early as one year before an election.  Ballots are available about 45 days before November elections, and about 30 days before all other elections.  Your absentee ballot application must be received by 5pm the Tuesday before the election in which you wish to vote.

To apply for an absentee ballot, download and complete the Virginia Absentee Ballot Application.  Mail or fax your completed application to your County Registrar. 

Any registered and qualified voter may request a mail ballot for presidential and vice-presidential electors only by checking the appropriate box on the form.  A voter who votes a presidential only ballot may not later decide to vote the rest of the ballot.  The same procedures and deadlines apply as for other absentee applications and ballots.

ID requirements for absentee voters:

You do not need to provide ID if you've voted in Virginia at least once.  If you are voting for the first time in Virginia and you did not include a copy of your ID with your voter registration form, you must include it with your absentee ballot application.  Acceptable forms of identification include a current and valid photo identification that shows your name or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and Virginia address.

Check the status of your absentee ballot application:

If you have a valid Department Of Motor Vehicles (DMV) pin and, have submitted an application to your local general registrar for an Absentee Ballot for an upcoming election, you can check the status of your application online.  Check the status of your absentee ballot application

Absentee ballot instructions:

The ballot itself is pretty straightforward. Fill it out, sign where indicated, put a stamp on it, and mail it back to your County Registrar. Your voted ballot must be received by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted.

Emergency absentee ballots

If you find out after noon on the Saturday immediately before the election that you will be unable to vote in person because of the following five reasons, you can vote absentee-in-person (also called early voting).  You can vote absentee-in-person if:

• Your business, profession or occupation requires you to be out of town on election day (you must provide the name of your employer or business);
• You will be hospitalized the day before the election or on election day; 
• Your immediate family member is going to be hospitalized;
• A member of your immediate family passes away;
• Your scheduled to act as an election officer in another precinct;

(Immediate family member is defined as your child, grandchild, grandparent, parent, sibling, or spouse.)

If you fall into any of these categories, you must apply in person at the office of the general registrar of your county or city of residence before 2:00 p.m. on the day before the election.  The registrar will provide you with an Emergency Absentee Ballot Application.  Once you have completed and signed this application, the registrar will let you vote. 

Emergency Absentee Ballot for Incapacitated or Hospitalized Voters:

If you missed the regular deadline for an absentee ballot (7 days before an election) because you are hospitalized or incapacitated you can obtain and vote an emergency absentee ballot.  You have until 2pm on the day before the election to request that an “Emergency Absentee Ballot Application” be delivered to you in the hospital or your place of confinement.  

To qualify for the emergency absentee ballot you must: 

• be hospitalized on or after the seventh day preceding an election; or
• be hospitalized on or after the fourteenth day before the forthcoming election for  a condition that rendered you unable to request a regular absentee ballot in time; or 
• ill and confined to your residence, bereaved by the death of an immediate relative, or otherwise incapacitated by an emergency which is found by the electoral board to justify providing an emergency ballot application

How to request an emergency absentee ballot:

Contact the general registrar by telephone or in writing any time prior to 2:00 p.m. on the day before the election and let the registrar know you need an emergency absentee ballot.  You must provide the name of a designated representative who will pick up and return your application and ballot.  Your designated representative must be at least 18 years old and cannot be an elected official, a candidate for elected office, or the relative of an elected official or political candidate.  

Emergency absentee ballot directions:

The registrar will give your designated representative an application for you to fill out.  A hospital official, licensed physician, an accredited religious practitioner, or a licensed funeral home operator must sign your emergency absentee ballot application.  Your representative must return the application to the registrar in person no later than 5pm on the day before the election.  Your designated representative should be prepared to show ID (photo ID preferred, but not required).  

The registrar will process your application and give your representative an absentee ballot for you. Your representative must return your voted Emergency Absentee Ballot to the registrar by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.  

State Contact Information