Dates, voter deadlines and rules for 2024 Virginia general election: 

Early voting already began on Sept. 20, but there are plenty of other opportunities (and ways) to vote in this election. 

Virginia Voter ID Rules

Virginia law requires all voters to provide either an acceptable form of ID or, if providing an acceptable ID is not possible, to sign an ID Confirmation Statement at the polls. A voter who arrives at their polling place without an acceptable form of identification or who refuses to sign an ID Confirmation Statement will be given the opportunity to vote using a provisional ballot.

Virginia Voter Registration: How to check your status

In order to vote, Virginians need to be registered. In order to be registered, you must first be eligible to register in accordance with state law. 

The Virginia Department of Elections has issued the following requirements in order to be eligible to register to vote. 

You must: 

  • Be a permanent resident of Virginia (not just someone who is here for an extended period).
  • Be a U.S. citizen.
  • Be 18 years old (if someone will be 18 on the day of a general election, they can vote in the primary when they are 17).
  • Not be registered and planning to vote in another state.
  • Must be mentally competent.
  • Convicted felons must have had their voting rights restored. 

If you are not registered to vote but would like to register, you can do so here at the Virginia Department of Elections portal. Remember that the deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 15. If you register to vote using the online portal after Oct. 15, you will not be able to cast your ballot in the Nov. 5 general election. 

If you need to register after Oct. 15, you will need to follow Virginia’s same-day registration guidelines. 

If you think you are registered to vote but aren’t sure, you can check your Virginia voter registration status here, as well as apply to vote absentee by mail and find your polling place on the online Virginia Department of Elections portal.

Where Do I Vote? How to find your polling location in Virginia

Virginia In-Person Voting

Your polling place for in-person voting is based on the address you use to register to vote. Usually, it is listed on a paper voter card mailed to voters after they register. The Virginia Department of Elections website also has a polling location lookup tool so you can find the address for your voting location there.

Virginia Absentee Voting

For absentee voting, you can use the Virginia Department of Elections’ citizen portal or reach out to your voter registrar’s office directly to request an absentee ballot. If you don’t know the contact information for your voter registrar, you can look it up by locality online.