Virginia primary elections: Here’s everything you need to know to vote on June 20

WASHINGTON – Virginia voters will have the chance to select candidates in their primary elections on Tuesday, June 20. The winners will then face off in what could prove to be a consequential election in November that determines who will control the closely divided legislature. 

Thanks to redistricting supervised by the Supreme Court of Virginia and done for the first time without input from legislators, nearly half of the state’s 140 lawmakers ended up with boundaries that overlapped with those of one or even two of their colleagues, triggering about two dozen retirements.

Republicans are defending a narrow 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and this year, while Democrats are hoping to maintain control of the Senate which they have by a slim 22-18 majority. 

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has helped to raise record amounts of money to help the GOP win both chambers, hoping it will allow him to enact his conservative legislative agenda. And while Democrats may have the fundraising edge, they face more primaries.

Here’s everything you need to know about voting in the Virginia primaries. 

HOW DO I REGISTER TO VOTE?

The official voter registration for the primary election closed on May 30, but you can still register and vote using a provisional ballot.

To register, you have to be a permanent Virginia resident and a U.S. citizen. Those who come to Virginia temporarily aren’t considered residents for voting purposes.

Virginia has nonpartisan registration, meaning you don’t have to register with a political party for the primaries but you can only vote in one party’s election.

You can check your registration status or register to vote here.

WHEN AND WHERE CAN I VOTE? 

Polls open at 6:00 a.m. on the day of the election and closed at 7:00 p.m. EST. 

You can check the Virginia Department of Elections’ online citizen portal to find out which district you are in as well as your voting precinct.

WHICH DISTRICTS ARE HOLDING PRIMARIES AND WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?

All 100 seats in the House of Delegates and all 40 seats in the Senate are up for election this year. 

You can find a full list of the primary races being held across the state on the Virginia Department of Elections website. 

WHAT DO I NEED ON ELECTION DAY? 

On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling place, which you can look up here. 

Under Virginia law, voters have to bring one acceptable type of identification to vote in person. You don’t have to bring your voter registration information.

Some common forms of acceptable IDs include a Virginia driver’s license (current or expired), a valid employee ID card with a picture, a military ID or a valid student ID. A full list can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections website.

If you don’t bring a valid ID, there are two other options to vote:

• Sign an ID statement to confirm your identity. This option will allow you to vote on a regular ballot.
• If you don’t sign an ID statement, you can vote using a provisional ballot, which is used when a person’s eligibility can’t be confirmed at the polling location by election officials or the general registrar.