HISTORIC TRIANGLE – Virginians are heading to the polls on Tuesday in a rare August primary to nominate candidates for congressional seats ahead of the high stakes November midterm elections.

Early voting ended on Saturday. Candidates have been nominated to the U.S. Senate and House, as well as local offices in some counties and cities. 

Primaries in Virginia are usually held on the third Tuesday in June, but state lawmakers voted to delay them this year amid the Democrat-spearheaded redistricting battle.

Virginia is an open primary state, meaning voters can choose to cast a ballot in either primary, but not in both primaries.

Election Day Voting Hours

Polls are open on Election Day, Aug. 4, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. As long as you are in line when the polls close, you can still vote. 

Where to Vote

You can look up your polling location any time by visiting the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal tool and choosing the “Find your polling place” option. 

Once you enter your information into the tool, you’ll be taken to a form that lists your locality, precinct and polling place information. 

Virginia voters are required to provide an acceptable form of ID, such as a driver’s license, passport or state-issued identification card. Those without an ID will be asked to sign an identity confirmation statement or cast a provisional ballot.

Sample Ballots

Click the links below to view the sample ballot for the locality listed.

James City County

• Republican Primary Sample Ballot 
• Democratic Primary Sample Ballot

York County

• Republican Primary Sample Ballot 
• Democratic Primary Sample Ballot

City of Williamsburg

• Republican Primary Sample Ballot
• Democratic Primary Sample Ballot

Sample ballots for any locality in the U.S. can also be viewed by using the Ballotpedia Sample Ballot Lookup Tool.

Candidates

Republican Primary: U.S. Senate

Three Republican candidates are vying for the nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Warner, who is seeking a fourth term.

Kim Farington

Farington is a businesswoman who previously served as the federal chief financial officer for the First Responder Network Authority. Her priorities include eliminating waste and fraud in government spending, protecting second amendment rights and supporting policies that bolster small business growth. 

Bert Mizusawa

The current frontrunner in the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate, Mizusawa is a retired U.S. Army Major General who served as a senior advisor to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He has emphasized his national security experience and is focused on reigning in excessive government spending, defending second amendment rights and securing more support for military families.

David Williams 

Williams is a veteran and businessman who served in the CIA and U.S. Department of State. His goals include reigning in crime, promoting school choice and reducing the flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl.

Democrat Primary: Virginia’s First Congressional District (VA-01)

Seven Democrats are running to challenge Republican incumbent Rob Wittman in Virginia’s first Congressional district, which stretches across the Historic Triangle, the Middle Peninsula, the Northern Neck and the Richmond suburbs. 

The race has been labeled a “battleground primary” by Ballotpedia, meaning that it is expected to be highly competitive and could have wide-ranging impacts on the balance of power. 

Elizabeth Beggs

Beggs is a U.S. Army veteran and mother of four young children. Her priorities include expanding support for military families, lowering healthcare costs and supporting reproductive rights. 

Salaam Bhatti

Bhatti is an attorney and former Virginia Poverty Law Center advocate. His focus areas include Medicare for all, campaign finance reform and amending the tax code to increase the share of taxes paid by the wealthiest Americans. 

Tim Cywinski

Cywinski is a Sierra Club communications director whose top priorities include expanding affordable healthcare access, promoting clean energy and boosting support for Virginia farmers. 

Jason Knapp

A retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot, Knapp’s platform leans on anti-corruption policies, including banning Congress from trading individual stocks, pushing for fundraising transparency and advocating for a four-term limit for Congress.

Ericka Kopp

A healthcare lawyer who grew up in the first district, Kopp describes herself as a “progressive Democrat.” Her priorities include banning ICE, aligning the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices with federal appellate courts, eliminating private prisons and establishing a universal healthcare system. 

Shannon Taylor

Taylor, the longtime Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County, is running with a focus on public safety and political system reform. Her agenda emphasizes anti-corruption policies such as campaign finance reform, prohibiting members of Congress from trading stocks and instituting term limit in Congress.

Mel Tull

Tull is an Army veteran and business attorney whose top concerns include healthcare affordability, economic opportunity for working families and modernizing Virginia’s infrastructure.

Election Day Results: What to Expect

Results will begin to be counted shortly after the polls close. The first results in Virginia are expected to roll in at around 7:11 p.m., according to the Associated Press.