Virginia

Polls open at 6am and close at 7pm ET on Election days. Voters that are in line by 7:00 pm are allowed to vote and should stay in line.

Polling Place Lookup available here. 

On Election Day the voter can only vote at their assigned polling place for the address that they are registered to vote.

Registration Deadlines

• The voter registration deadline for the Virginia Congressional District 11 Special Election is Submitted by Tue Sep 2, 2025.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Virginia if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of Virginia
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day

You are NOT eligible to vote in Virginia if:

• You have been legally declared “mentally incompetent” by a court
• You are registered to vote in another state
• You have been convicted of a felony and have not yet had your civil rights restored.

Agencies or courts in Virginia have issued opinions that individuals under guardianship DO have the right to vote unless the guardianship decree contains an express order otherwise.

Restorative Requirements

If convicted of a felony, you can’t vote while incarcerated, while on probation, or while on parole. Your right to vote can only be restored by the Governor. This is subject to change under future Governors and this page will be updated as needed.

You are able to pre-register:

• at 17 years of age provided you will be 18 by the next general election.

Any person who is 17 years old and will be eighteen years of age at the next general election shall be permitted to register in advance and also vote in any intervening primary or special election

How to register 

• Virginia Congressional District 11 Special Election
  • Submitted by Tue Sep 2, 2025

Voting Registration Methods & Deadlines

• Registration deadlines are 11 days before general elections, primary elections, and most special elections. For special elections called by the governor, the deadline is 7 days before the election. 
• Online registration through Citizen Portal. 
• Mail-in registration: Must be postmarked by deadline and mailed to local registrar or Virginia Department of Elections.
  • Local registrar lookup here.
  • Virginia Department of Elections 1100 Bank Street Richmond, VA 23219
• In-person registration: If the voter is registering on or before the deadline, they can register at their local registrar’s office or a satellite early voting site (if offered in their locality) and cast a non-provisional ballot. If the voter is registering after the deadline, they can register at their local registrar’s office or a satellite early voting site (if offered in their locality) but will cast a provisional ballot. In-person Registration Form
  • Local voter registration office lookup: 
  • Information about provisional ballots here. 
• Same-day registration: Voter can register in person at the voter’s assigned precinct location on Election Day and submit a provisional ballot.
  • Polling Place Lookup 

Information about Same Day registration and provisional ballots here.

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail
• By Fax
• By Email
• Online

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Virginia Congressional District 11 Special Election

Ballot Request:

• Received by Fri Aug 29, 2025 5:00PM
• In-Person Request by Sat Sep 6, 2025
• Emergency Ballot Request by Mon Sep 8, 2025 2:00PM

Ballot Return:

• Received by Tue Sep 9, 2025 7:00PM
• Postmarked On or Before Election Day and Received by Fri Sep 12, 2025 12:00PM

No reason is needed to vote absentee by mail or in person.  

• In Person: A registered voter can vote early at any satellite voting location in their locality. Check the locations and hours for early voting here.
• Absentee by-mail voting: In order to vote absentee by mail, submit the application prior to the eleventh day before the election. A registered voter can file to receive absentee ballots for all elections.
  • Absentee ballot application
  • Permanent absentee ballot application 
• Requesting an absentee mail ballot: a voter can request an absentee ballot from their local registrar by submitting the application through any of the following means: mail, online, in-person, email. The request for an absentee ballot must be received by the 11th day before the election.
  • Local registrar offices can be found here. 
• Returning an absentee mail ballot: If returning in-person, absentee ballots must be returned by close of polls (7 pm) on Election Day. If returning by mail, absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the registrar no later than 12 pm noon 3 days after Election Day. 

The voter can check if their absentee application was received and also whether their ballot was sent and received on the Virginia Department of Elections page here or on the Virginia Absentee Ballot Tracking System here.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Virginia you should provide:

• Your Virginia Driver’s License or State ID Number (online applicants only)
• Your Social Security Number

Voting In-Person

Registered voters can use any of the IDs below or sign an ID Confirmation Statement at the polls. Voters arriving at the polls without an acceptable form of ID will be required to sign an ID Confirmation Statement.

• Virginia Driver’s License – valid or expired
• Virginia Non-Driver’s License – valid or expired
• Valid Military ID
• Valid Tribal ID
• Valid Student ID from State School
• Valid US Passport
• Valid Virginia Voter ID Card
• Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
• Valid Employee ID with photo
• Government issued nursing care facility ID card
• Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address

ID requirements also apply to early voters who vote at the General Registrar’s Office or at a satellite voting location. Note that you can use an expired Virginia driver’s license for voting purposes.

To register: Voters do not need an ID to register to vote. 

To vote: Voters must have a qualified ID or sign an ID Confirmation Statement and then can vote normally. If the voter does not have an acceptable ID and refuses to sign an ID Confirmation Statement, the voter must vote a provisional ballot and then provide an ID or signed statement by noon on the Friday after the election to have their ballot counted.

• Moved within same precinct:
  The voter should go to their regular polling location. The voter should ask for and fill out a change of address form. The voter can cast a regular ballot.
• Moved to different precinct but within same county/city/district:
  Voters may use same day registration to vote a provisional ballot at their new precinct. Voters may cast a regular ballot at their OLD precinct (unless their registration has been transferred or canceled) in the following November general election and any intervening election (such as a primary). 
  In addition, a person may continue to vote in the precinct from which they have moved through the ensuing second general election for federal office, provided that (i) they have moved their residence from one precinct to another in the same registrar’s jurisdiction and the same congressional district; (ii) they have failed to respond to the notice provided in § 24.2-428; (iii) their registration has not been transferred or canceled as provided in this chapter; and (iv) they have affirmed orally or in writing their new address before an officer of election at the polling place.
• Moved to a different election jurisdiction or new Congressional district:
  Voters may use same day registration to vote a provisional ballot at their new precinct.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• Complete Social Security Number

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• Complete Social Security Number

• If the voter is an absent military or overseas citizen eligible to vote in state and local elections, they may register to vote and submit an absentee ballot application electronically for a specific election or any elections up through the next year using the Department of Elections voter registration portal.
• Please note that a driver’s license or identification card issued by the Virginia DMV is required to complete the process on-line.  The voter may also apply by using the federal postcard application (FPCA), available at www.fvap.gov. The voter can submit their FPCA by scanned email attachment to  info@elections.virginia.gov or via fax to (804) 371-0194. Detailed instructions are provided in the Virginia Voting Assistance Guide. FPCA’s are valid for all elections in the calendar year in which they are submitted and must be renewed annually.

If the voter does not receive their state ballot in time, the voter may vote using a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB), available here.

If the voter has only been convicted of a misdemeanor or is detained pre-trial, they can vote. 

A person who has been convicted of a felony in a Virginia trial court may register and vote only if their rights have been restored. If a person has a felony conviction in Virginia, they may request that their rights be restored through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s . Previous Governors of Virginia have restored voting rights to thousands of individuals with felony convictions, so individuals with felony convictions are encouraged to check if they have received a pardon through the Secretary’s website. 

If a person has a felony conviction in a state other than Virginia, that person must first have their rights restored in that state before being able to register to vote in Virginia. Note that in many states restoration is automatic upon completion of the sentence.