Any registered voter in Virginia can request a Virginia absentee ballot for any election, with no excuse required. You can apply online through the state’s Citizen Portal or on paper, return the completed ballot by mail, drop box, or in person, and track its status online from application through acceptance. The key deadline to remember is 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh day before the election for your application to reach your local registrar.
Who Can Vote Absentee
If you are registered to vote in Virginia, you qualify. The law covers primaries, general elections, and special elections, and the only prerequisite is active registration in your locality.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-700 – Persons Entitled to Vote by Absentee Ballot Older versions of the statute required a qualifying reason, such as being out of town or working during polling hours. That restriction is gone. You do not need to explain why you want to vote absentee.
How to Apply
The fastest route is online at vote.elections.virginia.gov. You will need your name, date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your locality. The portal sends your request straight to your general registrar.2Virginia Department of Elections. Absentee and Early Voting
If you prefer paper, use Form SBE-701 (or Form SBE-703.1 for certain federal-only voters). Mail it or hand-deliver it to your registrar’s office. The form asks for your full legal name, the last four digits of your SSN, your registration address, and the address where the ballot should be mailed.3Virginia Department of Elections. Virginia Absentee Ballot Application Form Leave off the SSN digits or any other required field and the application will be denied, so check it twice before submitting.
Your registrar must receive the application by 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh day before the election.4Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-701 – Application for Absentee Ballot A postmark is not enough. If you are close to the cutoff, apply online or walk the paper form in. Miss the deadline and you cannot vote by mail for that election, though in-person early voting at the registrar’s office remains open through the Saturday before Election Day.
Filling Out and Returning the Ballot
Once your application is approved, the registrar mails you a ballot packet with the ballot, a secrecy envelope, a return envelope with prepaid postage, and instructions. After marking your choices:
- Put the ballot inside the secrecy envelope marked “ballot within” and seal it.
- Sign the voter statement printed on the back of the return envelope.
- Place the sealed secrecy envelope inside the return envelope and seal that.
Virginia no longer requires a witness. Only your own signature on the voter statement is needed. Two small omissions will not void your ballot: forgetting to write the date on your statement, and leaving off your middle name. State law explicitly treats those as non-material.5Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-707 – How Ballots Marked and Returned
Return Deadlines
You have three ways to get the completed ballot back:
- By mail. It must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the registrar by noon on the third day after the election. If that third day falls on a holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.2Virginia Department of Elections. Absentee and Early Voting
- In person at the registrar’s office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.2Virginia Department of Elections. Absentee and Early Voting
- In a designated drop box in your locality. Call your registrar for locations and hours.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing a completed ballot at least a week before the receipt deadline.6United States Postal Service. Election Mail Dropping it in the mail the day before Election Day is a gamble even with a valid postmark. Commercial delivery services count as mail under Virginia law, but having a friend or family member carry your ballot to the registrar does not, outside limited circumstances involving a designated representative for voters with disabilities.5Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-707 – How Ballots Marked and Returned
If Something Is Wrong With Your Ballot
Virginia gives you a chance to fix problems rather than tossing the ballot. If the registrar spots an error on your voter statement or in how you returned the ballot, and that error would otherwise void it, the registrar must notify you in writing or by email within three days of finding the issue.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-709.1 – Processing Returned Absentee Ballots Before Election Day The notice explains what went wrong and how to cure it.
You have until noon on the third day after the election to make the fix. The cure process applies to ballots received by the Friday before Election Day. The registrar can issue a replacement ballot if one is needed, and your original is set aside with other spoiled ballots.
Tracking Your Ballot
The Citizen Portal at vote.elections.virginia.gov shows whether your application was received, whether your ballot has been mailed, and whether your returned ballot was accepted.8Virginia Department of Elections. Citizen Portal The portal also displays your registration status, polling place, and voting history. Checking it a few days after you send the ballot back is the simplest way to confirm it arrived and was not flagged.
In-Person Early Voting as an Alternative
Virginia treats in-person early voting as a form of absentee voting. Under ยง 24.2-701.1, early voting opens 45 days before any election and runs through 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately before Election Day.9Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-701.1 – Absentee Voting in Person You vote at your locality’s early voting location, which may be the registrar’s office or a satellite site. Every locality offers at least one.10Virginia Department of Elections. Early Voting Office Locations
Bring an acceptable photo ID. If you don’t have one, you can still cast a ballot by signing a sworn statement confirming your identity, which carries felony penalties if false. Refuse both options and you will be offered a provisional ballot.9Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-701.1 – Absentee Voting in Person
First-Time Voters Who Registered by Mail
Federal law under the Help America Vote Act adds one step if you registered to vote for the first time by mail and have never voted in a federal election in Virginia. When you return a mail ballot, include a copy of an acceptable ID: a current photo ID such as a driver’s license; a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck showing your name and address; or another government document showing your name and address, such as a voter registration card. Send the ballot back without the ID copy and it will be treated as provisional, counted only if you supply the ID to your electoral board by the applicable deadline.2Virginia Department of Elections. Absentee and Early Voting This step does not apply if you provided your driver’s license number during registration and it matched state records, or if you have already voted in a federal election in Virginia.
Military and Overseas Voters
Active-duty service members, their spouses and dependents, and U.S. citizens living abroad can register and request an absentee ballot at the same time using the Federal Post Card Application. A submitted FPCA is valid through the end of the next calendar year in Virginia, so you receive ballots for every election you’re eligible to vote in during that period without reapplying.11Virginia Department of Elections. Military and Overseas FPCAs can go by mail, email, or fax, and must reach the local election office by 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh day before the election for voters already registered in Virginia.
If your requested ballot does not arrive in time, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot works as a backup for federal candidates. Returned military and overseas ballots follow the same postmark and receipt deadlines as domestic absentee ballots and cannot be returned electronically.11Virginia Department of Elections. Military and Overseas
Help Marking Your Ballot
If you have a physical disability or cannot read or write, you have the right to receive help marking your absentee ballot from a person of your choice. The one restriction: the helper cannot be your employer, your employer’s agent, or a union officer or agent.5Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 24.2-707 – How Ballots Marked and Returned Federal law requires drop boxes to meet ADA accessibility standards.12ADA.gov. Voting and Polling Places If you need an accommodation or encounter an inaccessible drop box, contact your local registrar; election officials are required to modify procedures when necessary to avoid discriminating against voters with disabilities.