Montgomery County voters this year will vote on a U.S. senator (Democrat Mark Warner will face the winner of a Aug. 4 Republican primary), a U.S. House member from the 9th District (Morgan Griffith is the Republican incumbent) and a sheriff.
Primary election
June 18: Early voting begins for August 4 primaries.
June 20: Republicans will pick a sheriff nominee in a party-run process.
August 4: Primary elections. This will include a Republican primary for U.S. Senate, a Democratic primary to pick a 9th District U.S. House nominee and a Democratic primary to pick a candidate for sheriff.
General election
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: Virginians will be voting for a U.S. senator, members of the U.S. House, and various local offices, including three at-large city council seats in Roanoke.
For more details, see the Virginia Department of Elections.
Who the candidates are
U.S. Senate: Democratic incumbent Mark Warner; the Republican primary candidates are Kim Farington, Bert Mizusawa, David Williams.
U.S. House: Republican incumbent Morgan Griffith; the Democratic primary candidates are expected to be Douglas Crockett, Adam Murphy and Joy Powers. We won’t know for sure until Department of Elections verifies in late May/early June who is on the ballot.
Sheriff: Republicans will pick their candidate in a party-run “firehouse primary” on June 20. The candidates are interim Sheriff Robert Page and Timothy Shepherd. Democrats will pick their candidate in a state-run primary on August 4. The candidates are Tim Andrew Brown, Ed Herling Jr. and Greg “Waldo” Warden.
Where the candidates stand
This is where we’ll publish the responses to the questionnaire we’ll send to the candidates for sheriff. Once the ballot is set, we’ll also publish responses from the August 4 primary candidates for House and Senate. After that, we’ll update with responses from the candidates on the November general election ballot.
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?
For June primaries: You can request a mail-in ballot for the primary election until June 14.
For fall elections: You can request a mail-in ballot for the primary election until October 24.
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.