Applications for Mail Absentee Ballots Due Tuesday Oct. 30

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RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia Department of Elections announces two upcoming deadlines for voters wishing to participate in the Nov. 6, 2018 General Election via an absentee ballot.

 

 

 

• Voters wishing to mail their absentee ballot have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30 to request a ballot through their local voter registration office or the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal at vote.virginia.gov. The local registrar must receive all applications by the deadline in order to mail absentee ballots to eligible recipients in time for the election.
• Absentee voters have until Nov. 3 to appear in-person at their local voter registration office to vote in-person absentee. The local offices will be open Saturday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 3, for individuals wishing to cast their absentee ballots in person.
•  Voters also may visit their local voter registration office during regular business hours through the Nov. 3 deadline to vote absentee in-person.

Voters can find information about their local voter registration office online at www.elections.virginia.gov/VRO.

Absentee ballot application forms can be found online at elections.virginia.gov/absentee. These application forms may be submitted online, by e-mail, by fax or by mail. The Virginia Department of Elections is committed to providing absentee ballot access to all qualified voters. To see if you qualify to vote absentee, visit the Citizen Portal at vote.virginia.gov.

The Department of Elections encourages voters who are requesting absentee ballots sent by mail to apply well ahead of the Oct. 30 deadline, as the U.S. Postal Service advises that First Class delivery takes two to five days. Waiting until the deadline may not provide sufficient time for voters to receive their ballots and send them back on time. Applications for absentee ballots by mail received after the 5 p.m. Oct. 30 deadline cannot be accepted. All absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 6, in order to be counted.

Voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot in person must present acceptable photo identification. Voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID still may cast their ballot after completing the Virginia Voter Photo Identification Card Application and receiving a Temporary Identification Document from their voter registration office. More information on acceptable IDs is available online at www.elections.virginia.gov/voterid.

Voters can find more information about the Nov. 6 General Election at Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal, vote.virginia.gov.