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VOTING: A BASIC DUTY AND RIGHT
Knowledge is necessary to fulfill this duty and to claim this right. Note the following for the general election on November 8:
• Friday, September 23 – First day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office (https://www.elections.virginia.gov/localGR)
(Voting early is good to do, especially if you will be traveling, expect other demands on your time around Election Day, etc. However, caution should be used in voting too early. Things can happen between September 23 and November 8 that might affect your vote.)
• Monday, October 17 – Deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration (https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation)
(If you have moved since the last election or will move before Election Day, be sure to update your records. The earlier you do this, the better. If you have new neighbors, remind them to register.)
• Friday, October 28 – Deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you. Your request must be received by your local voter registration office by 5:00 p.m. (https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/PublicContactLookup)
(If you need to vote by mail, the earlier you apply the better. Also, when you get the ballot, be sure to read all the instructions thoroughly several times and be sure to follow each one as written. If you mailed in your ballot sometime in the past, the current instructions may be different. You certainly don’t want your ballot to be disqualified because of an oversight or technicality.)
• Saturday, October 29 – Voter registration offices open for early in-person voting.
(If you are not comfortable with mail-in voting and cannot stand in line, early in-person voting is an excellent option.)
• Saturday, November 5 at 5:00 p.m. – Last day of in-person early voting at your local registration office
• See who is on your ballot by viewing the candidate lists
(https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/candidate-list/)
A new law will take effect on October 1 which will allow registration on Election Day, only in person, at either the local registrar’s office or at the voter’s polling place. A ballot cast by a late-registered voter won’t go directly into the scanner like a regular ballot. It will be a provisional ballot, giving election officials time to verify paperwork and ensure the vote is valid before it is counted. This accommodates a voter who may have moved and forgotten to update the registration information or has recently moved to a new address. The voting safeguards will still be in place. Some other states make this effort to give every citizen an opportunity to fulfill this duty and claim this right. Do not just procrastinate because this is an available option.
Perhaps you are wondering why this information is in the newsletter in the middle of August when Election Day is more than two months away. It’s important for you to know these deadlines and to prepare to be an educated voter well before November 8. Some units and districts are already planning forums or other ways of learning about the candidates. For those considering a forum, there are suggestions for planning this event on the VRTA website. Be alert to any community event, regardless of the sponsor, where you might learn about the candidate. Pay attention during the next two months to everything a candidate says and does as well as check the person’s history, integrity, and voting record. Teachers are good at asking questions. Use this skill to learn about those who want your vote. This election is too important for a voter to make a last-minute decision based on only the most outrageous or controversial things an opponent says. Also, it’s not wise to base a vote on one issue because when the election is over, you get the whole package.
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