When voting begins and ends
September 18: Early voting begins for the November general election.
October 23: Deadline to register to vote, if you’re not already registered, without having to cast a provisional ballot.
October 31: Early voting ends.
November 3: Election Day.
For more details, see the Virginia Department of Elections.
What’s on the ballot
*denotes incumbent
U.S. Senator: Bert Mizusawa (R) vs. Mark Warner (D*)
Hanover County is split between the 1st District and the 5th District.
U.S. House (1st District): Rob Wittman (R*) vs. Shannon Taylor (D)
U.S. House (5th District): John McGuire (R*) vs. Tom Perriello (D) vs. Cooke Harvey (I)
Sheriff: Gregory Six (R) vs. Rickey R. Dandridge (I)
Three proposed constitutional amendments (see details below).
How to keep up with Virginia politics
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Where is my polling place?
How to vote
Can I vote with an out-of-state or expired license?
Yes. If you get to your polling place without an acceptable ID, you can sign a statement affirming your identity and vote on a regular ballot, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. If your license is expired, you can still use it to vote.
How can I vote by mail in Virginia?
Request the mail-in ballot on Virginia’s election portal, or by mailing an application for an absentee ballot to your local voter registration office. You can find the address for your voter registration office on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
You can also request an absentee ballot up to 11 days until the deadline. After the deadline, only emergency absentee ballots are available until the day before the election. To qualify for an emergency absentee ballot, you need to have a serious conflict (like a work conflict, or a health issue of an immediate family member).
Can I vote early in-person?
Yes. You can vote early in-person at your local registrar’s office. You can find the location of the general registrar’s office in your jurisdiction and read more about early voting on the Virginia Department of Elections’ website.
When do polls open?
Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Election Day.
If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.
Can I vote from jail in Virginia?
In many cases, yes. If you do not have a felony conviction, or if the governor has restored your right to vote after a felony conviction, you can vote – even from jail. This includes if you are being detained awaiting your court date, or are in jail for a misdemeanor conviction.
If you have a felony conviction, you can petition the governor to restore your voting rights.
Not sure if you’re eligible to vote?
Check your registration status at virginia.gov.
You can also check out Virginia’s list of voter rights, and read ProPublica’s guide on voting accessibility for more information.
