FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA – OCTOBER 19: A voter drops off an absentee ballot for the November 3, 2020 elections into a collecting bin outside Fairfax County Government Center on October 19, 2020 in Fairfax, Virginia. Virginian voters can vote early at their local registrar’s office from 45 days before Election Day to the Saturday before Election Day. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
D.C. may have a big reputation for politics, but Virginia voters are the ones in the DMV with an election every year.
This year is no exception, with every seat in the Virginia state legislature up for grabs Nov. 7. And when there's a November election, that means a spring primary.
This year, Virginia voters can cast ballots for their preferred candidates in either party on (or before) primary day, June 20. Early voting opened more than a month ago, but if you want to vote by mail, you'll need to request your absentee ballot by June 9.
There are a few steps to take before then, whether you're planning to vote by mail or just want to research your options.
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Here's what to know about the 2023 Virginia primary.
How to register to vote in Virginia
To vote in the 2023 primary, Virginia residents need to be registered to vote.
The deadline to register to vote, or to update an existing registration, was May 30. But according to the Virginia Department of Elections, you can register after that date and still vote in the primary or the election by using a provisional ballot.
Provisional ballots allow someone to vote if their ability to vote is in question -- for example, if they are not in the database of registered voters, or if they decided to vote in-person after requesting a mail-in ballot. Provisional ballots are evaluated when all other votes are counted. If a voter is indeed eligible to vote, their provisional ballot is included in the tally. You can learn more about provisional ballots here.
To register to vote, go here to visit the Virginia Department of Elections' citizen portal. The website will walk you through the process after you click the green "Register to Vote" button. (Make sure you know your Social Security number and have your driver's license or state ID with you for the process.)
How to find sample ballots for your district for Virginia's 2023 primary
Once you're registered to vote, the easiest way to find your polling place, and see what candidates are on the ballot for your district, is to visit this Virginia Department of Elections website.
You can type in your Virginia address to see your election day voting site, as well as a list of early voting locations in your district. Those early voting locations also serve as ballot drop-off sites if you want to vote via absentee ballot but can't mail it back by the deadline.
The same search results include a tab with a preview of candidates on the ballot in your district. Click "Ballot Info" to see names of candidates running for each position up for election.
What to know about primaries for both political parties:
- A number of districts in Virginia are only holding primaries for one party. For addresses in those districts, the page above will default to that party's ballot.
- If you live in an area of Virginia that's holding both Democratic and Republican primaries in 2023, the Department of Elections site will let you choose which party to preview after you look up your address.
- Note that some other counties and cities in Virginia won't have a primary for either party this year.
Most counties also have their sites that offer links to official sample ballots for each district. Find info on your Northern Virginia city or county below:
- The City of Alexandria does not have a primary election this June.
- Arlington County is implementing ranked choice ballots for county board members in this June's Democratic primary. Sample ballots are here.
- Fairfax County has sample ballots for the Democratic primary in several languages here.
- The City of Fairfax has sample ballots for the Democratic primary here.
- Loudoun County has sample ballots for the Democratic primary here.
- Prince William County has sample ballots for the Democratic and Republican primaries here.
How to apply for a mail-in ballot in Virginia
At the same Virginia Department of Elections website where you can register to vote, you can also apply for an absentee ballot. Voters no longer need to meet specific requirements to vote absentee. Any registered voter can get a mail-in ballot for the 2023 primary, as long as they apply before the deadline of June 9.
Click the green "Apply to Vote Absentee by Mail" button and follow the on-screen instructions to fill in your personal information. You'll need your Social Security number and driver's license or state ID with you.
Registered Virginia voters can also now choose to join the Virginia permanent absentee voter list. That option will send the voter ballots by mail, sent to the address on their Virginia voter registration record, for all future elections in which they're eligible to vote.
Once you get your mail-in ballot, you can fill out your ballot and then either mail it back to the registrar's office or drop off the sealed envelope at any of the early voting locations in your district.
How to vote early in-person
Early voting began in Virginia on May 5 and will continue until June 17. (That's the Saturday before primary day on June 20.)
If you're registered to vote, all you need to do to vote early in person is to show up at an early voting location in your district. You don't need any specific reason to vote early.
You do need to bring an acceptable form of ID or sign an ID Confirmation Statement, and share your name and address.
If you request an absentee ballot and then decide to vote in-person instead, you'll need to turn in your blank absentee ballot at the polling place. If you don't, you'll need to fill out a provisional ballot instead.
