Virginia’s primary elections are Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know to vote.
Virginia’s primary elections are Tuesday, and here’s a rundown of everything voters need to know to cast a ballot:
This year’s primaries and general elections will be the first for state lawmakers under new district boundaries that were redrawn in 2021. In Hampton Roads, Senate candidates are vying for their party’s nomination in four districts — Senate District 17, 18, 19 and 21. House of Delegates candidates have primaries in five districts — House District 84, 92, 94, 95 and 96. Read more about who’s running in The Virginian-Pilot’s 2023 primary election guide.
The general election will be in November.
Polling hours
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can vote as long as they are in line by 7 p.m.
___
Voter registration
The deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration was May 30.
Voters can register after this date, through Election Day, and cast a provisional ballot. Their vote is counted after their registration is approved. Voters can check their registration status at vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.
___
Where to vote
Polling locations are printed on voter registration cards. Voters can also look up polling places online at vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.
___
What to bring
Voters have to provide an acceptable form of ID or sign an ID confirmation statement to cast a ballot.
Some acceptable forms of identification include a Virginia driver’s license, U.S. military ID, valid student ID, tribal ID or a U.S. passport. The full list is available at elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/voter-id.
___
Curbside voting and other voting accessibility options
Voters who are 65 or older or voters with a disability can have a ballot brought to their vehicle. Voters with a disability can also use an accessible voting machine when voting in person. Election officials can assist with reading or completing forms.
The full list of voter rights can be found at elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/voter-rights.
___
Mail-in and absentee ballots
Absentee ballots can be returned to the local registrar’s office or a drop-off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the registrar’s office by 12 p.m. on the third day following the election.
Contact information for local registrar’s office can be found using the search tool at vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.
___
Problems at the polls
There are several options for filing complaints related to registration or the voting experience.
If a voter meets the requirements to vote but is being denied, they can ask an election official to contact the voter registrar’s office before leaving the polling place. The voter registrar may be able to resolve the problem immediately.
Voters can also call the Department of Elections at 800-552-9745, preferably before the polls close.
The Department of Elections administers a formal grievance process under the Help America Vote Act for voters who believe that their voting rights have been violated. Voters must fill out a complaint form within 10 days of the incident, have it notarized and mail it to the deputy commissioner.
For informal complaints, voters can file an online form for any incident at the polls.
Cianna Morales, 757-957-1304, cianna.morales@virginiamedia.com
