Actions

Virginia voter deadlines for the 2020 presidential election

Posted at 3:32 PM, Oct 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-12 16:17:31-04

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Tuesday, Oct. 13 is the last day to register to vote in Virginia. It’s also the last day to update your voter information.

“You need to make sure your address is correct, your name is spelled correctly. Don’t assume that everything is correct just because you vote every election. You need to check it on a regular basis,” said Gaylene Kanoyton, Hampton Branch NAACP President.

The Hampton Branch of the NAACP is encouraging everyone to make sure they’ll be eligible to vote in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

“We’ve received phone calls from voters that weren’t in the system and they’ve been voting every year, and so when they went to the registrar’s office, they were able to resolve that issue,” said Kanoyton.

Anyone who will be 18 years old by Election Day, Nov. 3 can register to vote by Tuesday’s deadline.

You can go online to the Virginia Department of Elections website to check your status and update your information or you can go to your local registrar's office.

“Name changes, address, even if you never moved— if you stayed in the same house for a long time— you still need to make sure your information is correct,” said Kanoyton.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23 at 5 p.m.

You are not required to have a witness present or have a witness sign your ballot envelope.

There are three ways to return your absentee ballot:

  • Put it in a drop-off box on Nov. 3 at your local precinct.
  • Ballots returned in-person must be delivered by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.
  • The last day to vote early is Oct. 31.

All polling sites are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. can vote.

If you want to vote in-person and have already requested an absentee ballot, you’ll need to bring your ballot with you to the polls or vote with a provisional ballot that will be counted after the Election Board verifies an absentee ballot has not already been cast.

Click here for our complete election guide.