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Virginia elections, 2023
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Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content.
This page provides information on the 2023 elections in Virginia, including the offices on the ballot covered by Ballotpedia, election dates, and frequently asked questions.
Election dates
Statewide election dates in Virginia are listed below. For more dates, please see the elections calendar.
Statewide election dates
June 20, 2023: Primary
November 7, 2023: General election
Offices on the ballot
| Virginia elections, 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Elections? | More information |
| U.S. Senate | — | — |
| U.S. House | — | — |
| Congress special election | ✓ | Click here |
| Governor | — | — |
| Other state executive | — | — |
| State Senate | ✓ | Click here |
| State House | ✓ | Click here |
| Special state legislative | ✓ | Click here |
| State Supreme Court | — | — |
| Intermediate appellate courts | — | — |
| School boards | ✓ | Click here |
| Municipal government | ✓ | Click here |
| Recalls | — | — |
| Ballot measures | — | — |
| Local ballot measures | ✓ | Click here |
Legend: ✓ election(s) / — no elections
Subject to Ballotpedia's scope
Noteworthy elections
Below is a list of races in this state that received in-depth coverage on Ballotpedia. Click the link below to learn about that race.
- Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia, elections (2023)
- Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia, elections (2023)
- Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2023
- Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2023 (June 20, 2023 primaries)
- Virginia State Senate District 7 special election, 2023
- Virginia State Senate elections, 2023
- Virginia State Senate elections, 2023 (June 20, 2023 primaries)
Frequently asked questions
When are the polls open?
6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.[1]
See State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2023) for more information
Where can I find election results?
Election results are posted on Ballotpedia's election overview pages, as well as the relevant candidate pages. You can find links to the current election overview pages in the "Offices on the ballot" section of this page.
How do primaries work in Virginia?
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Virginia utilizes an open primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
How do I register to vote?
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Virginia, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Virginia, and at least 18 years of age.[4]
Registration can be completed online, in person at a local voter registration office, or by mail. Voters can also register at the following locations:[4]
| “ |
|
” |
| —Virginia Department of Elections | ||
The deadline to register is the 11th day before a primary or general election, but a voter may register to voter after this deadline through the state's same-day registration system and vote a provisional ballot.[4][6]
Is there an early voting period?
- See also: Early voting
Virginia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Who is eligible for absentee voting?
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Virginia's 2025 election cycle.
All Virginia voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail. There are no special requirements to be eligible to vote absentee/by mail. Voters may request an absentee ballot online or complete a paper absentee ballot request form and return it to their local voter registration office by mail, fax, or email. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day.[7][8]
Completed ballots must be returned to the local registrar's office or an official drop off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day. If mailed, completed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within three days of the election in order to be counted.[7]
On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed HB1 and SB111 into law, establishing no-excuse absentee voting 45 days prior to an election. The legislation was in effect for the November 3, 2020 election.[9]
On the same day, Northam also signed HB238 and SB455, providing for absentee ballots postmarked on or before the date of an election to be counted if received by noon on the third day after the election.[9]
What are the voter ID laws in Virginia?
See Voter identification laws by state.
How do I file to run for office?
See Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Virginia for information on how to run for state or federal office.
What does Ballotpedia cover?
Ballotpedia's coverage extends to all elections on the federal level, all gubernatorial, state legislative, statewide ballot measure, and statewide judicial elections, as well as many other types of state executive offices. Ballotpedia also covers all elections in the U.S. territories, but not elections in other countries.
Local election coverage includes comprehensive ballot coverage for municipal and judicial elections in the top 100 cities by population and races for the large counties that overlap them. In the state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities, it includes coverage of mayoral, city council, and district attorney elections. It also includes school board elections in the top 200 largest school districts by enrollment, all California local ballot measures, and notable local ballot measures from across the nation.
Please note that Ballotpedia's election coverage does not encompass all local offices. Election information is not published in a timely manner for many local offices, which makes it infeasible to gather the necessary data given our limited resources. However, Ballotpedia's coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what local elections we are covering in your area.
How do I contact Ballotpedia with a question?
Email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Redistricting following the 2020 census
This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.
- Decemeber 28, 2021: The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously approved new congressional and state legislative maps.
- Decemeber 8, 2021: The two special masters appointed by the court released map drafts for state legislative and congressional districts.
- November 19, 2021: The court unanimously approved two of the nominees: Sean Trende, who was the Republican special master nominee, and Bernard Grofman, who was the Democratic nominee.
- November 15, 2021: The court granted a three-day extension for legislators to make new special master nominations.
- November 12, 2021: The court rejected all three Republican nominees and one Democratic nominee for special master and requested that legislators submit new nominations by November 15.
- November 8, 2021: The commission did not produce congressional maps by the final deadline, and authority to redraw congressional districts passed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
- October 24, 2021: The Virginia Redistricting Commission did not produce final state legislative by its October 24, 2021 deadline, and the authority to draw new district maps passed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
- October 15, 2021: The commission released two statewide congressional map proposals on October 14, 2021, and another on October 15.
- October 13, 2021: U.S. District Judge David Novak ruled court challenge to the November House of Delegates elections could move forward and appointed two other judges, Fourth Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker and U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson, to hear the case.
- October 10, 2021:The Virginia Redistricting Commission did not meet the October 10 deadline to submit state legislative maps to the General Assembly. If the commission does not reconvene to draft maps, the authority to create new state legislative districts passes to the Virginia Supreme Court.
- September 27, 2021: Democratic and Republican map drawers submitted a collaborative statewide map proposal for consideration to the commission.
- September 23, 2021: The Virginia Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit challenging how inmates are counted.
- September 18, 2021: Democratic and Republican map drawers each submitted statewide map proposals for consideration to the commission.
- September 16, 2021: The commission voted to restrict its map drawers from looking at political data or incumbents' residences while drafting maps of General Assembly and congressional districts.
- September 16, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau released data from the 2020 census in an easier-to-use format to state redistricting authorities and the public.
- September 13, 2021: The commission dropped the regional approach to map drafting in favor of drafting statewide maps.
- September 8, 2021: State Sen. Bill Stanley (R) replaced Steve Newman (R) on the commission.
- September 4, 2021: State Sen. Steve Newman (R) announced his resignation from the commission.
- August 24, 2021: The commission announced that a member had tested positive for COVID-19 and that it would not hold its next scheduled meeting on August 30.
- August 23, 2021: The commission voted 12-4 to redraw district maps from scratch rather than using the current maps as a guide.
- August 17, 2021: The commission voted to allow political data and incumbents’ home addresses to be considered throughout the map-drawing process.
- August 16, 2021: The commission voted to officially start the state’s redistricting process on August 26, 2021.
- August 13, 2021: Six county supervisors and State Sen. Travis Hackworth (R) filed a lawsuit against the commission asking the Supreme Court of Virginia to intervene in the commission's plans to count prisoners at their last known address instead of where they are currently incarcerated.
- August 12, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered redistricting data to states in a legacy format.
- July 6, 2021: Paul Goldman (D) filed a complaint with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia arguing that holding the November 2021 House elections with districts drawn in 2010 violates Virginia’s Constitution and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
- June 7, 2021: The commission decided against a proposal to hire nonpartisan counsel, instead opting to hire two sets of partisan attorneys.
- April 26, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered apportionment counts.
Footnotes
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Election and Voter FAQ: What hours are the polls open?", accessed December 2, 2022
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections,"Casting a Ballot," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Virginia Department of Elections, "How to Register," accessed May 3, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Same-Day Voter Registration," accessed May 12, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Virginia Department of Elections, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Virginia Absentee Ballot Application Form,"accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Office of the Governor of Virginia, "Governor Northam Signs Sweeping New Laws to Expand Access to Voting," April 12, 2020
