Early voting is officially underway in Virginia.
If you’re planning to vote ahead of Election Day – which is Tuesday, November 2, 2021 – this guide summarizes the key things you need to know, including important deadlines, what to expect, how to register or update your registration (if you need to), and where to vote. You’ll also find a list of the current candidates (with links to their websites to learn more) and sample ballots based on your voting precinct.
If you’re new to voting early, here’s what to expect.
Early voting allows eligible voters to cast their ballots during a designated timeframe ahead of Election Day. One of the primary benefits to voting early is the ability to skip the Election Day lines – something many voters may prefer to do given the continued high case numbers of Covid-19.
There are two ways to vote early in Virginia: in-person or by mail (absentee). If you want to vote by mail, you can apply online here. Once you submit your application, you’ll be able to use the State of Virginia’s Citizen Portal to confirm that it was received. You’ll also be able to use a tool called Ballot Scout to track your ballot after it’s mailed.
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If you want to vote in person, you can do so at your local registrar’s office. The guide below includes the voting locations for each county in the Historic Triangle, as well as the times and dates that early voting will take place. Note: The Saturday before Election Day is the last day to vote early.
Once you arrive at your registrar’s office, you’ll be asked to provide your name and address and show a valid ID. You don’t need to have a reason to vote early, and there are no special applications to fill out. You’ll simply cast your ballot the same way you would on Election Day.
Accessible equipment is available for individuals with disabilities. Curbside voting is also available upon request, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
If you don’t have an acceptable form of ID, you’ll need to sign an ID Confirmation Statement or fill out a provisional ballot.
Valid forms of ID
- Virginia’s driver’s license
- U.S military ID
- Valid DMV-issued ID card
- Valid U.S passport/passport card
- Valid employee ID card issued by voter’s employer (must include a photograph)
- Valid student ID issued by a public or private high school, college or university in Virginia
- Government-issued ID card
- Voter ID card issued by the Department of Elections
- Valid tribal enrollment or other tribal ID issued by a recognized tribe in Virginia
- Nursing home resident ID
If you don’t have any of these forms of ID, you may provide a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck containing your name and address.
Out-of-state driver’s licenses, membership cards from private organizations, credit cards with photographs and Virginia Driver’s Privilege cards are not accepted, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Important Dates
Deadline to register to vote (or update your existing registration): Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot to be sent to you: Friday, October 22, 2021
Final day of early in-person voting: Saturday, October 30, 2021
You’ll be able to vote in three key statewide races this year: Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Below is a list of the candidates running in this election cycle. Click the candidate’s name to view their website and learn more about their policy positions.
Governor
Terry R. McAuliffe, Democrat.
Glenn A. Youngkin, Republican.
Princess L. Blanding, Liberation Party.
Lieutenant Governor
Hala S. Ayala, Democrat.
Winsome E. Sears, Republican.
Attorney General
Mark R. Herring, Democrat.
Jason S. Miyares, Republican.
Early Voting Guidelines by County
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James City County
If you’re a resident of James City County, your early voting location is the James City County Vote Center at 5301 Longhill Rd., which is open Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm through October 29. Special voting hours will also be available on October 23 and October 30, 8 am-5 pm.
Registering to Vote
You can register to vote online. If you need to register to vote or update your voter registration information in person, you can do so at any of these locations between 8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday, until the registration deadline of October 12.
Main Office, 5300 Palmer Ln., Williamsburg, VA 23188
Contact: 757-259-4949 or email [email protected]
Human Service Center, 5249 Olde Towne Rd., Williamsburg, VA 23188
Contact: 757-259-3105
Satellite Office, 3127 Forge Rd., Toano, VA 23168
Contact: 757-564-2160
Sample Ballots
To determine your sample ballot in James City County, you’ll first need to identify your polling precinct here. The listing below includes each of the sample ballot styles followed by the precincts that they apply to.
Includes Berkeley A (Jamestown HS); Roberts D – (Laurel Lane ES)
Includes Berkeley B (Clara Byrd Baker ES); Berkeley C (Matoaka ES); Stonehouse A (Hickory Neck Episcopal Church); Stonehouse B (Norge ES); Stonehouse C (Stonehouse ES)
Includes Berkeley D (JCC Fire Admin Building); Roberts A (James River ES); Roberts B (Mt. Gilead Baptist Church); Roberts C (Grace Baptist Church),; Roberts D + (Laurel Lane ES)
Includes Jamestown A (Legacy Hall)
Includes Jamestown B + (JCC Recreation Center); Jamestown C (Upward Church); Jamestown D (King of Glory Lutheran Church)
Includes Jamestown B – (JCC Recreation Center)
Includes Powhatan A (Hornsby MS); Powhatan B (Lafayette HS); Powhatan C (Toano MS); Powhatan D (Warhill HS)
A list of current JCC representatives is available here.
For additional information about the 2021 elections in James City County, check out the county’s September 24 podcast below.
York County
Voters in York County will be electing a member for the House of Delegates in addition to voting in the three statewide races. A Board of Supervisors race is also taking place in District 4.
York County has two registrar’s office locations, and you can cast your ballot early at either one. The first is located at 6610 Mooretown Rd. in Williamsburg (in Victory Village), and the second is located at 5322 George Washington Memorial Hwy. in Yorktown (in Washington Square Shopping Center).
Registering to Vote
If you need to register to vote in York County or update your voter registration, the safest and easiest way to do so is online or by downloading this form to complete and mail to the county.
Citizens who need to register in person can do so at one of four locations:
Registrar’s Office in Washington Square (Grafton) – 5322 George Washington Memorial Hwy, Yorktown (Monday-Friday: 8:30 am-5:00 pm)
Registrar’s Office in Victory Village (Williamsburg) – 6614 Mooretown Rd., Ste. A, Williamsburg (Monday-Friday: 8:30 am-5:00 pm)
Tabb Library – 100 Long Green Blvd, Tabb (Monday-Thursday: 10:00 am–8:00 pm; Friday-Saturday: 10:00 am–5:00 pm; Sunday: 1:00 pm–5:00 pm)
Griffin-Yeates Center – 1490 Government Rd, Williamsburg (Monday-Friday: 8:15 am-5:00 pm)
Sample Ballots
You’ll need to figure out what precinct you’re in before you can view your sample ballot. You can do that here.
District 201 Queen’s Lake (93rd House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot; Queen’s Lake (96th House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot
District 102 Waller Mill Sample Ballot
District 103 Magruder Sample Ballot
District 201 Coventry (91st House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot; Coventry (93rd House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot
District 202 Kiln Creek Sample Ballot
District 301 Seaford Sample Ballot
District 302 Yorktown Sample Ballot
District 303 Edgehill (93rd House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot; Edgehill (96th House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot
District 401 Harwoods Mill (93rd House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot; Harwoods Mill (96th House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot
District 402 Dare Sample Ballot
District 403 Grafton Sample Ballot
District 501 Tabb (91st House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot; Tabb (93rd House of Delegates District) Sample Ballot
District 502 Bethel Sample Ballot
You can also sign up for urgent York County election alerts here.
City of Williamsburg
If you’re registered to vote in the City of Williamsburg, your early voting polling place is the City Municipal Building, located at 401 Lafayette St.
Early voting in the City of Williamsburg is available Monday-Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm. There will also be special voting hours on Saturday, October 23 and Saturday, October 30, from 8 am-4:30 pm.
You’ll have the option to vote either curbside or inside the Registrar’s Office. If you decide to vote inside, masks are required. Capacity limits and Covid-19 sanitization measures are also in place.
In addition to voting in the statewide races, City of Williamsburg voters will cast a ballot for the House of Delegates 93rd District and the Commissioner of the Revenue.
You can view a City of Williamsburg sample ballot here.
Registering to Vote
If you need to register to vote in in-person in the City of Williamsburg, you can do so at:
City of Williamsburg General Registrar’s Office, Municipal Building, 401 Lafayette Street, Williamsburg, VA 23185 (Monday-Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm).
Otherwise, you can register online on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
If you need to contact the General Registrar’s Office, call 757-220-6157.
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Twitter
See @WilliamsburgGov’s post on Twitter.
twitter.com/WilliamsburgGov
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Additional resources
Virginia Department of Elections Voting Rights Pocket Guide
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Twitter
See @vaELECT’s post on Twitter.
twitter.com/vaELECT
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