Virginia Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should visit 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).  First-time voters who regisereted in person may vote absentee.

Important Deadlines

• Voter Registration: Received at least 22 days before the election
• Absentee Ballot Application: Received by by 5pm the Tuesday before Election Day
• Voted Absentee Ballot: Received by close of polls (7pm) on Election Day

 How to vote by absentee ballot

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.

Verify your voter registration

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.

Make sure you're eligible to vote by absentee ballot

If you are a new regristrant and submitted your voter registration by mail, you must vote in person (either in-person absentee or at the polls on election day) 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).  If you registered in person, you may vote absentee as a first-time voter.  (This restriction does not apply if you request a "presidential only" ballot.)

Additionally, you must meet one of the following requirements to vote by absentee ballot:

• you will be absent from the county or city in which you are entitled to vote, due to an obligation of business, profession, or occupation or while on personal business or vacation;
• you are (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) you temporarily reside outside of the United States, or (iv) are 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;
• Are a student, or spouse of a student, attending a school or institution of learning, who will be absent on the day of election from the county or city in which you are entitled to vote;
• you are unable to go in person to the polls on the day of election because of a disability, illness or pregnancy;
• you are 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. (If you are awaiting trial and are a resident of the county or city where you are  confined, you may request to be taken to the polls to vote on election day if your trial date is postponed and you did not have an opportunity to vote absentee);
• you are a member of an electoral board, registrar, officer of election, or custodian of voting equipment;
• you are duly registered and unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because you are primarily and personally responsible for the care of an ill or disabled family member who is confined at home; or
• you are duly registered and unable to go in person to the polls on the day of the election because of an obligation occasioned by your religion.

If you are unsure whether you qualify to vote absentee, contact your local elections office.

Apply for your absentee ballot

Be sure you are eligible to vote absentee.  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.

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

Receive, complete, and return your bsentee ballot

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.

If you need an emergency absentee ballot

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. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to provide ID when I apply for my absentee ballot?

If you registered in person and provided sufficient ID at that time, you won't need to provide ID when you vote absentee.  If you registered to vote by mail, and you did not fulfill the ID requirements at that time, you will be notified by mail that you must provide a copy of your identification in order to receive an absentee ballot.

Acceptable forms of ID include: A current and valid photo ID (for example a driver’s license); or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows name and address; or another government document that shows name and address (for example a voter card).

However, voting absentee one time does not automatically guarantee smooth sailing to vote absentee for subsequent elections. Whether it’s a federal or general election, how you registered, and when you last voted absentee are all factors that may affect whether or not you will need to supply additional identification the next time you vote absentee.  We recommend checking with your County Registrar to ensure your absentee voting status.

When is the earliest I can 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.

I won't be able to go to the polls on election day but don't want to vote by mail.  Can I vote in person before the election?

Yes. Check out our Early Voting page for details.

Additional Information