The primaries are around the corner. Here's what you need to know.

Joyce Chu, The Progress-Index
·3 min read
Voting booths
Voting booths

Elections are right around the corner. First up is the primaries, happening on June 20. Here are some important information and dates to be aware of.

Who can vote in the primaries?

Virginia has an open primary election, so you don't have to be registered in a particular party in order to cast a vote.

The candidates who win the primaries are the ones who have the most votes, even if they did not receive more than half of all the votes cast.

Who is on the ballot for the primaries?

There are two candidates vying for the Democratic nominee for House District 82: accountant Kimberly Pope Adams and nonprofit executive Victor McKenzie.

District 82 stretches from eastern Dinwiddie County to Surry County, and includes all of Petersburg and portions of Prince George County. It also was renumbered from the 63rd to the 82nd House District. Whoever wins the Democratic primaries will go against current Republican incumbent Kim Taylor in the November general election.

There are also two candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee for Senate in the 13th Senate District: Lashrecse Aird and incumbent Sen. Joe Morrissey.

District 13 the former 16th Senate District includes eastern portions of Dinwiddie and Henrico counties; all of Charles City, Prince George, Surry and Sussex counties; and the cities of Petersburg and Hopewell.

This November will be the first general election for the new districts.

Early voting

You can register to vote or apply for an absentee ballot online using the Citizen Portal. Registered voters do not need a reason to request an absentee ballot. You may apply for a ballot to be mailed to you through June 9, 2023. Your request must be received by your local voter registration office by 5:00 p.m.

To vote early in-person, voters should go to the general registrar’s office for the jurisdiction in which they are registered, present their ID, and cast a ballot. The location of the general registrar’s office for all jurisdictions can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections’ website (https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/PublicContactLookup) as well as a list of acceptable forms of identification (https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/voterid/index.html).

Some jurisdictions may offer early in-person voting at satellite locations in addition to the general registrar’s office. Curbside voting is also available for those with disabilities and those over 65 who wish to vote in person. Contact your general registrar’s office for more information regarding voting hours and additional locations.

Requested absentee ballots will be mailed beginning May 5, including ballots to registered military and overseas voters. Any registered voter can request an absentee ballot either in-person, by mail, online (https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/Lookup/absentee) or by contacting your general registrar’s office.

Absentee ballots can be dropped off at the general registrar’s office or polling location on Election Day. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than June 20.

Important dates and information:

Joyce Chu, an award-winning investigative journalist, is the Social Justice Watchdog Reporter for The Progress Index. Contact her with comments, concerns, or story-tips at Jchu1@gannett.com or on Twitter @joyce_speaks.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Here's what you need to know about the primaries in Virginia