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*)
Roanoke County is split between two congressional districts:
U.S. House / 6th District: Ben Cline (R*) vs. Beth Macy (D)
U.S. House / 9th District: Morgan Griffith (R*) vs. Joy Powers (D)
Vinton Town Council (two seats available): Sabrina M. McCarty (I*) and Michael W. “Mike” Stovall (I*)
Three proposed constitutional amendments (see details below).
About the proposed constitutional amendments
- Abortion / reproductive rights: This declares that reproductive freedom is a “fundamental right,” which it defines as including “prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.” The amendment says “the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion” if a doctor seems such a procedure necessary. You can read the full language of the amendment here.
- Same-sex marriage: The U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 upheld the right to a same-sex marriage. However, the Virginia constitution still retains now-moot language banning same-sex marriage, the so-called Marshall-Newman Amendment of 2006. This amendment would repeal that previous amendment and add language to guarantee the right to a same-sex marriage in case the U.S. Supreme Court ever reverses itself. You can read the full language of the amendment here.
- Restoration of rights: Virginia is one of only two states where felons are permanantly barred from voting unless the governor intervenes. This amendment would automatically restore those rights after a sentence has been served. You can read the full language of the amendment here.
Where the candidates stand
We’ve sent a questionnaire to all the candidates on the ballot.Their responses are below. If a space is blank, it means they haven’t responded to multiple requests. Note: Roanoke County is split between the 6th Congressional District and the 9th Congressional District. Use the pull-down menu under “U.S. House” to get to the answers from the 9th District candidates:
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.
