Richmond, Virginia— Early voting in Virginia begins tomorrow, allowing busy Virginia voters to participate in the democratic process prior to Election Day in November. Since Virginia first implemented no-excuse absentee voting and expanded the early voting period, there has been a noticeable shift in the way voters cast their ballots. A majority of voters appear to prefer the convenience and flexibility of early voting, and in 2023, Virginia voters cast 1 million early votes in the general election, around 60% of the total vote share. Voting before Election Day has helped reduce lines at polling places and increased overall voter turnout. Virginia’s turnout in the 2024 presidential election was estimated at an above-average 73%. 

Early voting begins this year with a background of new mandates and last-minute restrictions from the Governor. Last Friday, Governor Glenn Youngkin released an executive order which attempts to reinstate his controversial voter-purge program from 2024, mandated continued state participation in the federal SAVE database (which has been criticized for faulty data collection), required that the Virginia Department of Elections to work more closely with the Department of Homeland Security (which oversees ICE), and mandated that new, complex statewide crisis scenarios be completed before the start of early voting begins. Cumulatively, the order imposed significant last-minute administrative burdens on elections officials, opened the door to voter intimidation by ICE officers at polling places, and further contributed to an atmosphere of confusion and distrust around early voting (which is, in reality, a safe, secure, and convenient way to allow more voter participation.)

In light of these challenges, it is more critical than ever for Virginians to take advantage of early voting to ensure their voices are heard. 

• Early voting runs from Friday, September 19th through October 31st.  
• Voters must bring an acceptable form of ID to the polls, though voters without ID can still vote provisionally. Photo IDs are not required.
• Early voters may only vote in the jurisdiction where they are registered to vote. 
• The deadline to register to vote is now 11 days from the election (October 24th this year.) After that date, voters may still register to vote through same-day registration but will be required to cast a provisional ballot. 
• Any registered voter can apply for a vote-by-mail ballot for any reason.