Virginia voters are eligible to vote in-person by absentee this Saturday, October 24th and next Saturday, October 31st. However, the deadline to apply for a ballot by mail is Tuesday, October 27th and must be returned by mail on Tuesday, November 3rd by 7 p.m. The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2015.
Check your voter status, poll location and candidates on the ballot for the November 3rd general election here
Acceptable forms of identification to cast your vote by absentee:
- Valid Virginia Driver’s License or Identification Card
- Valid Virginia DMV issued Veteran’s ID card
- Valid United States Passport
- Other government-issued photo identification cards (must be issued by US Government, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth
- Valid college or university student photo identification card (must be from an institution of higher education located in Virginia)
- Employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer’s business
- or a Virginia Voter Photo ID Card obtained through any local general registrar’s office
A voter who does not bring an acceptable photo ID to the polls will be offered a provisional ballot.
View full text about absentee voting in Virginia courtesy of the Virginia Department of Elections:
RICHMOND, VA – On Saturday, October 24th & October 31st, 2015, all election offices in the Commonwealth will be open for in-person absentee ballot voting for the November 3, 2015, general election. Absentee ballot applications are available at all election offices and must be completed prior to casting the ballot. Saturday absentee voting provides Virginia voters with an additional opportunity to cast their qualifying absentee ballot in-person at their local voter registration office.
There are 19 acceptable reasons for voting absentee and all eligible Virginia voters are encouraged to take advantage of this program. “Absentee voting is a wonderful option that allows Virginians to participate in the upcoming election even if they are unable to make it to the polls on Election Day,” said Edgardo Cortés, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT). A list of acceptable reasons is available on the ELECT website http://elections.virginia.gov. Voters can find office hours and contact information for their local voter registration office, see what’s on their ballot, apply for an absentee ballot by mail, check their absentee ballot status, and more at ELECT’s Citizen Portal available at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.
Important absentee ballot dates to remember if voting in the November 3, 2015, general election.
· The deadline to apply for a ballot by mail is on Tuesday, October 27, 2015.
· The two Saturdays to vote absentee in-person are October 24th & 31st, 2015.
· The deadline to vote absentee in-person is on Saturday, October 31, 2015.
· The deadline for returning your ballot by mail is on Tuesday, November 3, 2015, by 7:00pm.
Virginia voters casting an absentee ballot either in-person or on Election Day must show an acceptable photo ID. Voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID may still vote absentee in-person after completing the Virginia Voter Photo Identification Card Application and receiving a Temporary Identification Document from their voter registration office. Virginia voters may call the Department of Elections’ toll free number for assistance at 800-552-9745.
