Poll times
In Virginia, all polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[1]
Registration
- 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. A person must also not be registered and planning to vote in another state, or declared mentally incompetent by a court. If a person has been convicted of a felony they must have had their right to vote restored.[2]
Registration can be completed online, in person at a local voter registration office, or by mail. Voters can also register at the following locations:[2]
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- State or local government offices when applying or re-certifying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, or Rehabilitation Services
- Government offices in the State that provide State-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to person with disabilities
- Armed forces recruitment offices
- Public libraries
- Virginia Department of Elections office
- Department of Motor Vehicles offices
- Voter registration Drives[3]
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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.[2][4]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed SB219 into law, establishing automatic voter registration for individuals conducting business with the Department of Motor Vehicles.[5]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Virginia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
- See also: Same-day voter registration
Virginia allows same-day voter registration in-person at local registrars' offices, satellite early voting sites during the early voting period, and at the precinct on Election Day.[4]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Virginia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.[2]
Verification of citizenship
- See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States
Virginia does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who makes a materially false statement may be "sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, or up to 12 months in jail and/or fined up to $2,500."[6]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[7] Six states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Citizen Portal, run by the Virginia Department of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
According to the Virginia Department of Elections website, voters must present identification or sign a statement, subject to felony penalties, that they are the named registered voter who they claim to be. Voters who do not have identification and do not sign a statement must vote a provisional ballot.[8]
The following documents were considered acceptable identification for voting as of December 2025. Click here for the Virginia Department of Elections' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Virginia driver's license, current or expired
- Virginia DMV-issued ID card, current or expired. An electronic version is accepted only if it is through the "Virginia mID" app
- Valid employee ID, containing a photo, issued by the voter's employer (public or private) in ordinary course of business
- U.S. Military ID
- Valid student ID issued by a public or private high school or institution of higher education in Virginia, with or without a photograph. Accepted in electronic form only if it is an officially adopted method of issuing a student ID by the institution.
- Valid U.S. passport or passport card
- ID card issued by the federal government or a state or local government body.
- Voter ID card issued by the Department of Elections
- Voter confirmation documents
- Valid tribal enrollment or ID issued by one of the 11 tribes recognized by Virginia
- Government nursing home resident ID
- Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck containing the name and address of the voter. The document cannot be more than 12 months old and is acceptable in physical or electronic form.
- Any other current government document containing the name and address of the voter
- Signed ID Confirmation Statement
