The countdown to Decision 2023 in Virginia is almost over.
On Tuesday, Nov., 7, Virginians will vote to decide control of the House of Delegates and the Senate, plus weigh in local races.
In 2021, Republicans won a narrow 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and swept every statewide constitutional office. Meanwhile, Democrats hold a slim 22-17 majority in the state Senate. An additional state Senate seat most recently held by a Republican is vacant.
- Republicans hope to gain full control of the state legislature and clear a path for the governor to enact his proposals on abortion, education, taxes and other key policy priorities. The GOP is seeking full control of state government for the first time in a decade.
- Democrats seek to maintain control of at least one chamber and possibly flip the other to continue to serve as a check against Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's agenda.
Go here for the latest coverage on Election Day.
No topic has been more contentious than the future of abortion policy in the dozen or so districts that will likely determine the balance of power in the General Assembly. The parties' approaches are being closely watched around the country.
Virginia is the only Southern state that has not put in place new restrictions on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling a half-century ago that provided constitutional protections for abortion.
Decision 2023
Coverage of the 2023 primary and general elections in Virginia
Youngkin and Republicans in Richmond pushed unsuccessfully earlier this year for a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. The measure was blocked by the Democratic majority in the state Senate, which has prided itself as a “brick wall” against the governor's agenda.
Although his name won’t appear on the ballot, Youngkin looms large over Tuesday’s general election in Virginia.
The governor has been active on the Virginia campaign trail. Since his election in 2021, his political action committee has spent $19 million on contributions to legislative candidates, local party committees and other campaign expenses. And as he possibly mulls a late entry into the 2024 presidential race, the outcome of Tuesday’s election could be interpreted as a referendum on Youngkin himself.
What's on the ballot in Virginia's 2023 election?
All 40 state Senate seats and 100 state House seats are up for election this year, but several seats in both chambers are uncontested.
The balance of power will likely be determined by a handful of competitive districts in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., central Virginia near Richmond and southeast Virginia in the Hampton Roads area.
You can find sample ballots on your local election office website, including Fairfax County and Loudoun County.
What are some big races to watch?
In the state Senate, Democrats face competitive races in the four districts that voted for Democrat Joe Biden for president in 2020 but then supported Youngkin the following year.
- In Northern Virginia, Democrat Russet Perry and Republican Juan Pablo Segura face off in District 31, an open seat covering parts of Loudoun and Fauquier counties in the outer Washington suburbs.
- In District 24, which includes Yorktown and Newport News, incumbent Democratic state Sen. Monty Mason is running for reelection against Republican Danny Diggs, the former longtime York County sheriff. Also in the Hampton Roads area, Democrat Clinton Jenkins faces Republican Emily Brewer for the open seat in District 17, along the eastern North Carolina border.
- Further north in Fredericksburg, Democrat Joel Griffin and Republican Tara Durant are competing for the open seat in District 27.
- In District 16 just northwest of Richmond, incumbent Republican state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant faces a challenge from Democrat Schuyler VanValkenburg in an area carried by Biden in 2020 and by former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe in his unsuccessful 2021 reelection bid.
In the state House, incumbent Republican state Sens. Kim Taylor in District 82 in Petersburg and Karen Greenhalgh in District 97 in Virginia Beach face strong Democratic challenges.
There are also competitive races in three open seats: District 21 in Northern Virginia, District 57 northwest of Richmond and District 65 in Fredericksburg. All five seats are in districts that went for Biden in 2020 and Youngkin in 2021.
Regardless of the outcome of the election, the legislature will see more turnover than usual resulting from a new set of district maps that prompted a record number of retirements and incumbents defeated in the June primary.
Other notable contests Tuesday are a ballot measure in Richmond authorizing a casino, plus two commonwealth’s attorney races in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
What about other races in Northern Virginia?
If the issues being discussed this year are getting you invested in local elections you normally skip on your ballot, check out our guide to getting up-to-speed fast here.
Check below for positions outside the state House and Senate up for election this fall, by county and city.
City of Alexandria: No local elections in 2023; only members of the Virginia General Assembly.
City of Fairfax: Court Clerk, Commonwealth's Attorney and Sheriff.
City of Falls Church: Court Clerk, Commonwealth's Attorney, a School Board member and a City Council member.
Arlington County: Court Clerk, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, a County Board member and a School Board member.
Fairfax County: Court Clerk, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, County Supervisor positions and School Board members.
Loudoun County: Court Clerk, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, County Supervisor positions, School Board members and the Soil and Water Conservation Director.
There are also ballot measures related to school district construction projects, parks and recreation projects, and transportation projects.
Prince William County: Court Clerk, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, County Supervisor positions, School Board members and the Soil and Water Conservation Director.
How to vote on Election Day in Virginia
The basics are:
- Look up your polling place location
- Show up to your assigned polling location. Voting hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Bring an acceptable form of ID to speed up the process; however, there are options if you don't have an ID.
Keep reading for more detailed information.
Voter registration lookup
All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to vote in Tuesday’s general election.
You can check your voter registration status here.
The deadline to register for a regular ballot was Oct. 16.
If you didn't register before the deadline, same-day voter registration is available at your polling place.
Anyone who registered after the deadline will be given a provisional ballot, and eligibility will be determined by elections officials after Election Day. 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.
If you moved but didn't change your address before the voter registration deadline, you may be able to "cast a non-provisional ballot, rather than the provisional ballot used for same day registration," Virginia's elections website says. Here's more information.
Where is my polling place? How to look up where you can vote
The Virginia Department of Elections recommends looking up your polling place in advance. This year, it's a good idea to double-check your voting location because Virginia redrew its election districts after the 2020 census.
Enter your address on Virginia's Polling Place Lookup tool to confirm where you should go to vote on Tuesday.
You can also use this tool to preview candidates on the ballot in your district. Click "Ballot Info" to see the names of candidates running for each position up for election.
You can find more information by contacting your local voter registration office.
What are the Virginia voting times?
The Virginia general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Polls open statewide at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. ET. If you are in line to vote by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to cast your ballot, officials said.
Voter ID requirements in Virginia
Voters must show an ID at the polls, sign an ID Confirmation Statement or cast a provisional ballot.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
- A Virginia driver’s license or a DMV-issued ID card (either current or expired)
- A valid work or student ID that has a photo
- A passport
Here's the full list of acceptable IDs in English. The list is also available in Español, 한국인 and Tiếng Việt.
If you don't have a valid ID or forget to bring it, you have two options. Here's what the Virginia Department of Elections says:
- If you get to your polling place without acceptable ID, you can sign an ID statement affirming your identity, you will be able to vote a regular ballot.
- If you do not sign an ID statement to affirm your identity you may vote a provisional ballot. You will be provided instructions to ensure your vote will count.
You can learn more about provisional ballots here.
Curbside voting and accessible voting
"If you are 65 or older, or have a disability, you may vote on Election Day without leaving your vehicle," the Virginia Department of Elections says.
To use curbside voting, park in the designated parking spot at your polling place. You are allowed to bring someone to help you or go inside and tell officials you're ready to vote curbside.
Here's more information on accessible voting.
What if I see a problem at the polls?
The News4 I-Team will be monitoring any issues that might pop up at the polls in Virginia. If you see something they should be checking out, contact the team at 202-885-4444 or tips@news4iteam.com.
If you have a complaint related to your voting experience, you can file an informal or formal complaint with the Virginia Department of Elections. Here's more information.
Early voting turnout
Virginians were able to vote early starting at the end of September. The last day to vote early was Saturday, Nov. 4.
As of Wednesday, there were 6,122,466 voters registered in Virginia. Virginia does not register voters by party.
As of Thursday, more than 618,000 voters had cast ballots before Election Day, 35% by mail and 65% in person.
In the 2022 general election, 32% of the vote was cast before Election Day. It was slightly higher in the 2021 general election for governor at 36%.
How long does vote counting usually take?
In the 2022 congressional midterm general election, the AP first reported results in 10 of 11 congressional districts between 7:09 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. In the 11th congressional district, the first votes were reported at 8:31 p.m. ET. By noon the day after Election Day, 98% of the vote across all congressional districts had been counted.
Impact of redistricting
Normally in legislative elections, a key analytical tool in making race calls is comparing the current election night vote result with previous election results for the same contest. Since this is the first election held under these new boundaries, past Senate and House results are not a meaningful point of comparison. However, district-level results from the 2020 presidential race and the 2021 gubernatorial race do provide a general sense of each district’s partisan voting history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
