Absentee Voting for the General Election deadline is October 30

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RICHMOND, VA – Absentee voting for the November 6 General Election starts statewide tomorrow, Friday, September 21. Qualified Virginia voters may vote absentee in-person at their local voter registration office or vote absentee by mail.  To vote absentee, registered voters must meet one of the 20 eligibility requirements listed on the Virginia Absentee Ballot Application.

“Absentee voting is a great option for those who can’t make it to the polls on Election Day,” said Department of Elections Commissioner Christopher Piper.  “Whether you vote absentee by mail or in person, it is important that you exercise your right to vote.” Voters can request an absentee ballot online using the Department’s secure online Citizen Portal at vote.virginia.gov .

 

 

Important dates to remember if voting in the November 6 General Election includes:

• The deadline to apply for a ballot by mail is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30.
• In-person absentee voting is available Monday through Friday during regular general registrar office hours, and on Saturday, October 27 and Saturday, November 3.
• The deadline to vote absentee in-person is Saturday, November 3.
• The deadline for a general registrar to receive an absentee ballot by mail is by 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 6.

Acceptable forms of valid identification: Photo IDs can be used to vote up to one year after the ID has expired.

Virginia law requires voters to present an acceptable photo ID when voting in-person. This is Virginia law for all voters. Many types of photo ID are acceptable for voting in Virginia. You only need to show ONE acceptable photo ID to vote.

A list of Acceptable photo Ids:

• Virginia driver’s license
• Virginia DMV-issued photo ID
• United States passport
• Employer-issued photo ID
• Student photo ID issued by a school, college, or university located in Virginia
• Other U.S. or Virginia government-issued photo ID
• Tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID
• Virginia Voter Photo ID card
•  To find out how to obtain a free Virginia Voter Photo ID Card, please visit vote.virginia.gov 

If you don’t have an ID, simply go to your nearest voter registration office to get a free Voter Photo ID, even on Election Day!

Polling hours throughout the Commonwealth are from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. As long as a voter is in line by 7:00 p.m., the voter will be able to vote. You can find your polling location on the Virginia Board of Elections online site here  https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation

Office hours and locations for in-person absentee voting may vary by locality and are available at vote.virginia.gov .

To request a ballot by mail, the Department of Elections advises applying as early as possible to account for any potential delays in mail delivery.