September 17 is National Voter Registration Day, a nation-wide effort to educate the public about voter registration procedures and deadlines. The Virginia Department of Elections is emphasizing the importance of eligible voters registering for the Nov. 5 election and reminding those who are already registered to update any personal information that may have changed since the last election cycle.
All information on registering to vote in Virginia can be found online at vote.virginia.gov or by clicking on this link: Virginia Department of Elections – How to Register
For the November 5 general election, the deadline to register and cast a regular ballot is October 15. After that, eligible voters can register and vote through same day registration and cast a provisional ballot.
On the ballot this year in Virginia are candidates for president and vice president, all 11 congressional seats, a Senate seat, an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia and a variety of local offices. A full list of candidates in all 2024 races can be found online. Virginia Dept. of Elections: Candidates & Referendums. As of Sept. 1, there are 6,280,912 registered voters in Virginia.
Important dates for the Nov. 5 election cycle:
- Sept. 20 – Early voting begins at all general registrar’s offices. Some cities and counties offer early voting satellite locations. Dates and times vary by jurisdiction.
- Oct. 15 – Deadline to register to vote and cast a regular ballot
- Oct. 16 – Same-day registration begins. Anyone registering and voting at the same time will have to cast a provisional ballot.
- Oct. 25 – Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail or online
- Nov. 2 – Last day of early voting
- Nov. 5 – ELECTION DAY
- Nov. 8 – All mailed ballots must be received by the general registrar’s office by noon.
- Nov. 15 – Deadline for local electoral board to certify provisional ballots
- Dec. 2 – State Board of Elections certifies results.
- Dec. 17 – Electoral College meets to cast votes for president and vice president.
All information on registering to vote in Virginia can be found online at vote.virginia.gov or by clicking on this link: Virginia Department of Elections – How to Register