Virginia’s early in-person voting period is underway for the November 3 general and special elections, giving registered voters until 5 p.m. October 31 to cast a ballot before Election Day. The state’s calendar opened the 44-day window on September 18 and confirms that every locality must offer early voting.
The ballot includes contests for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, a special election for Virginia House of Delegates District 20, local offices, proposed constitutional amendments and local referendums. The Department of Elections posted updated statewide and local candidate lists on September 22, while voters’ exact choices depend on where they are registered.
Early voting is administered locally, so hours and locations are not uniform across Virginia. Some counties and cities use only the general registrar’s office; others add libraries, community centers or government buildings later in October. The state’s location directory lists local sites and schedules, and voters may cast an early ballot only in the locality where they are registered. Registrar offices will also open statewide on October 18, 24, 25 and 31, though exact hours vary.
No excuse or separate application is required for in-person early voting. Voters must provide their name and address and show an acceptable form of identification, or sign an ID confirmation statement. Accessible equipment and curbside voting are available upon request, according to the Department of Elections’ guidance.
October 23 is the regular deadline both to register or update a registration and to request a mailed absentee ballot. The state says a mailed-ballot request must reach the voter’s general registrar by 5 p.m. that day. Voters may apply through the Citizen Portal or submit a paper application by mail, fax, email attachment or in person.
Virginia permits in-person same-day registration after the regular deadline through Election Day, but those voters cast provisional ballots. The state’s registration rules also make October 23 important for address changes. Residents can check their voter record online before traveling to an early-voting site, reducing the chance that an outdated registration creates delays.
For mailed ballots, election officials instruct voters to return the completed ballot to the local registrar by 7 p.m. on Election Day or use an authorized drop-off site. A ballot sent by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and reach the registrar by noon on the third day after the election, subject to a holiday adjustment.
The practical takeaway is that Virginia’s statewide voting window is open, but the voting experience remains local. Before going, voters should confirm their registration, review the offices and questions that appear in their locality, and verify the site’s operating hours. That is particularly important because many satellite locations begin later than September 18 even though registrar offices are already accepting early ballots.
