Virginia’s Early Voting Season Begins Friday, Ushering in Pivotal Election

Early voting begins Friday in Virginia’s high-stakes general election, opening a six-week window for voters to cast their ballots in races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, all 100 seats of the House of Delegates and some local offices. This year’s early voting period arrives with several notable changes to state election law, including a shorter registration deadline and new reporting requirements for provisional ballots.

According to the Virginia Department of Elections, in-person early voting runs from Friday, Sept. 19 through Saturday, Nov. 1. The agency reminds Virginians that every county and city must offer early voting, but that voters are only allowed to vote early in the jurisdiction in which they are registered.

On the gubernatorial ticket, Democrat Abigail Spanberger faces Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP nominee. For lieutenant governor, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, is opposed by conservative radio show host John Reid. In the attorney general contest, incumbent Republican Jason Miyares is being challenged by Democrat Jay Jones.

This fall marks the first general election under a revised registration schedule. The deadline to register is now 11 days before an election — Oct. 24 this year — instead of the 22-day cutoff that applied in previous years.

After that date, Virginians can still register through same-day registration, but those ballots are cast provisionally and verified later. Registrars must also now report the number of provisional ballots at the precinct level, a change state officials say will improve transparency.

Early voting locations vary by locality; some jurisdictions operate multiple satellite sites with different hours of operation, while others rely on a single registrar’s office. Voters must bring an acceptable form of identification to cast a ballot, though anyone lacking an ID can still vote provisionally.

Curbside voting remains available for Virginians over 65 or those with disabilities, and voters with visual or manual dexterity impairments can mark absentee ballots using electronic tools. 

Absentee voting also begins Friday, with ballots mailed to military and overseas voters as well as those who have already requested them.

Any registered voter can apply for an absentee ballot online, by mail, or in person without giving a reason. The deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot is Oct. 24. Completed ballots may be returned by mail, delivered to a registrar’s office, or placed in designated drop boxes during the early voting period or on Election Day. To be counted, mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 and received by noon on Nov. 7.

Election officials and candidates alike are urging Virginians not to wait.

“With early voting in Virginia’s general elections beginning on Friday, I encourage all eligible Virginians to get registered, double check their registration status, and make a plan to vote early or on Election Day,” Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor, said in a statement.

The expansion of early voting in Virginia is still relatively new. Lawmakers approved no-excuse absentee voting and broadened access to early in-person voting beginning in 2020, aligning the commonwealth with many other states.

Studies have found those reforms boosted participation. Analysis by the Center for Election Innovation & Research shows that voting before Election Day has steadily increased since the changes, helping reduce long lines at polling places and raising turnout overall.

In fact, Virginia’s turnout in the 2024 presidential election was estimated at 73%, well above the national average. Election experts say the extended early voting period, combined with mail-in options, made it easier for people with demanding schedules or long commutes to participate.

“The one thing we know above all about early voting is that it’s very popular. A lot of people would prefer to vote ahead of time, particularly if they don’t have to provide an excuse,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.

“The people who vote early are usually the most intense partisans, people who vote Democratic or Republican, no matter when they voted,” Farnsworth said. “This enables the campaigns to focus on those voters who are less likely to turn out, or maybe more persuadable. And so it serves a great purpose for the campaigns to have those partisan voters locked in early.”

Analysts also note that the elderly and military families have made particularly heavy use of absentee ballots in recent cycles.

“It’s important to know that this is a great assistance to older voters who might find it more difficult to get to the polls on Election Day in terms of transportation, and to military voters, who are away from their home precincts,” Farnsworth said.

​​State officials are hopeful that momentum continues this fall, given the stakes of the 2025 election. Control of the governor’s mansion and the full House of Delegates will shape policy decisions on issues ranging from taxes and health care to education and criminal justice. The election is also widely seen as a referendum on the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.

With party control in Richmond potentially up for grabs, both Democrats and Republicans are mounting intensive get-out-the-vote efforts designed to maximize early turnout and bank votes before Nov. 4.

The Department of Elections is directing voters to its website to check registration status, locate early voting sites and find acceptable forms of identification. Those with questions can also call the department at 1-800-552-9745 or the nonpartisan Voter Assistance Hotline at 844-482-8683.

Election officials stress that voters should not assume hours and locations are the same as in past years, since each locality sets its own rules within the state framework.

Key dates remain front of mind for election officials: the Oct. 24 registration and absentee ballot request deadline, the Nov. 1 close of early in-person voting, and Election Day itself on Tuesday, Nov. 4, when polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

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