Election Day is back in Virginia, and voters cast ballots in person in both local and statewide elections.
At stake in Virginia’s off-year elections is control of the top three statewide offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general; the General Assembly’s House of Delegates; and constitutional offices in cities across the commonwealth.
Voting precincts open at 6 a.m. Tuesday to welcome in-person voters. More than 1.4 million Virginians have already cast their ballots, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, and in-person voters have until 7 p.m. to make their selections.
Here’s a rundown of what voters need to know to cast a ballot.
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Who’s on the ballot?
The Virginian-Pilot’s 757 Votes Election Guide contains Q&As with candidates running in contested races for statewide offices, House of Delegates seats representing Hampton Roads districts, and local constitutional officers such as sheriffs, commonwealth’s attorneys and treasurers.
For statewide seats, Virginians will choose between former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears for governor. For the lieutenant governor election, voters will decide between Democrat Ghazala Hashmi and Republican John Reid. In the attorney general’s race, Democrat challenger Jay Jones faces off against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares. Republicans currently hold all three seats. Candidates run independently, so it is possible for candidates from different parties to be elected.
All 100 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates are up for grabs. Democrats currently hold a slim majority in the House. Candidates from districts representing Hampton Roads are included in the election guide. These legislators serve two-year terms in the General Assembly.
Cities also have constitutional offices on the ballot this year. These positions include sheriffs, commonwealth’s attorneys, commissioners of revenue and treasurers. Each of these elected officials will serve for four years.
Residents of Norfolk and Chesapeake also have special elections for school board on their ballots. In Virginia Beach, voters will decide on a ballot referendum question that asks voters which election system they want to use in future elections. In James City County, voters will choose seats on the Board of Supervisors and on the school board.
757 Votes: The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2025 election guide
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Voter registration
Though the deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration has passed, voters can still register on Election Day and cast a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are counted after registration is approved. Voters can check their registration status at vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.
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How to vote in person
Polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Voters can find their polling place using their address on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Voters should bring a form of identification when arriving at a polling place. This can be a Virginia driver’s license, U.S. military ID, valid student ID, tribal ID or a U.S. passport. Voters arriving at the polls without an acceptable form of ID will be required to either sign an ID Confirmation Statement or vote a provisional ballot. If a voter votes a provisional ballot, they will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of identification to their locality’s electoral board or sign an ID Confirmation Statement in order for their provisional ballot to be counted.
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Absentee voters
Absentee ballots can be returned to the local registrar’s office or a drop-off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
If voters chose to vote by mail, ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the registrar’s office by noon Friday.
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Problems at the polls
If a voter meets the requirements to vote but is being denied, they can ask an election official to contact the voter registrar’s office before leaving the polling place. Voters can also call the Department of Elections at 800-552-9745 as soon as possible, preferably before the polls close.
The Department of Elections administers a formal grievance process under the Help America Vote Act for voters who believe that their voting rights have been violated. Voters must fill out a complaint form within 10 days of the incident, have it notarized and mail it to the deputy commissioner. For informal complaints, voters can file an online form for any incident at the polls.
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Results
The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press will post results online Tuesday evening as they become available. Look for results from the election in Thursday’s print editions.
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
