Your 2023 Virginia Primary Election Voting Checklist

Many localities across Virginia are holding primary elections for state legislative and local offices on Tuesday, June 20. Here’s what you need to know to cast your ballot.

Have you registered to vote?

• Check and/or update your voter registration status here.
• If you missed the primary voter registration deadline, you can still cast your primary ballot with Same-Day Voting Registration! You’ll register at your polling location and cast a provisional ballot on-site. 

Do you know what the prerequisites are to register to vote in Virginia?

• You must be a United States citizen.
• You must be a resident of Virginia.
• You must be at least 18 years old by the next general election. Seventeen-year-olds who will turn 18 on or before the next general election (November 8, 2022) can also register.
• Seventeen-year-olds who are registered to vote can also vote in primary AND special elections in Virginia!
• You have had voting rights restored if you were ever convicted of a felony.
• You have had capacity restored if you were ever declared mentally incapacitated in a Circuit Court.

Are you planning to vote early via in-person absentee voting?

• If you’re casting an early ballot by mail, you will need a witness signature on the ballot you are casting. If your ballot is missing a witness signature, you will be contacted within three days of receipt by your local voter registration office and asked to correct it.
• More information on early voting can be found here.

What if I need accessible voting?

• Information about accessible voting, and the options to help you vote in Virginia can be found here.

What if I’m serving in the military and overseas?

• Information about military voting/voting overseas can be found here.

What identification do I need to bring with me if I vote in person?

If you’re voting either on June 20 or through early voting at your local Registrar’s Office or a satellite voting location, you need to bring ID with you.

You will be asked to show one form of identification. If you do not have an acceptable ID on you, you will have to sign an ID Confirmation Statement that says you are the registered voter you claim to be. If you neither provide acceptable identification nor sign an ID Confirmation Statement, you must vote a provisional ballot, and you will be given instructions on what to do so your vote can count. You will need to submit a copy of a valid ID by 12:00 p.m. the Friday after the election (June 23). If you do not present acceptable ID or sign the statement, you must cast a provisional ballot.

Any one of the following is an acceptable form of voter ID in the commonwealth:

• Virginia driver’s license that is current or expired
• A Virginia DMV-issued ID card that is current or expired
• A valid employee ID card that has a photo on it that was issued by an employer for business
• A US military ID
• A valid student ID card that was issued by a public or private higher education institution in Virginia
• A valid student ID card that has a photo on it, issued by a public or private higher education institution in the United States
• A valid student ID card that was issued by a public or private high school in Virginia
• A valid US passport or passport card
• A government-issued ID card from a local, federal, or Virginia subdivision
• A voter ID card that has been issued by the Department of Elections
• Voter confirmation documents
• A valid tribal enrollment or tribal ID card if and only if it has been issued by one of the 11 tribes recognized by the commonwealth
• A nursing home resident ID if it was issued by a government facility
• A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or a paycheck with the name and address of the voter on it, if it is no older than 12 months.
• Any current government document that has the name and address of the voter
• A signed ID Confirmation Statement

The following forms of identification will not be accepted:

• An out-of-state driver’s license
• A membership card from a private organization with a photo on it
• A credit card that has a photo on it
• Virginia Driver’s Privilege card

Who’s on the ballot?

You can check out a list of Democratic primary candidates here and the list of Republican primary candidates here. State and local offices with primary elections include state House, state Senate, commonwealth’s attorney, sheriff, city and town council, and board of supervisors.