Virginia voter registration closes Oct 23 for the November 3, 2026 election. Every deadline — registration, mail ballot and early voting — with the official source for each.
Look up your own ballot and polling place →
Virginia registrars send absentee ballots to voters who have already applied by Friday, Sept 18, 2026. If you apply later, your ballot goes out within three business days of the registrar receiving your application.
Early in-person voting begins Friday, Sept 18, 2026 at local registrar offices. Early in-person voting ends at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct 31, 2026. Statewide window Sept 18 - Oct 31. Registrar offices are also open for early voting on Sunday Oct 18, Saturday Oct 24, Sunday Oct 25 and Saturday Oct 31. Satellite locations and weekday hours vary by locality; contact your local registrar.
Application for a mailed absentee ballot must be received by your local registrar's office by 5:00 p.m. Friday, Oct 23, 2026. No excuse needed.
Register or update your registration online by Friday, Oct 23, 2026 to vote a regular ballot. Mailed applications must be postmarked by Friday, Oct 23, 2026. Applications with no postmark or an unreadable postmark are still accepted if received within 5 days after the deadline. Deliver your application to your local registrar by 5:00 p.m. Friday, Oct 23, 2026. After that, you can still register in person and vote a provisional ballot through Election Day. After Oct 23 and through Election Day, voters can register in person and vote a provisional ballot.
Early in-person voting ends at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct 31, 2026. Statewide window Sept 18 - Oct 31. Registrar offices are also open for early voting on Sunday Oct 18, Saturday Oct 24, Sunday Oct 25 and Saturday Oct 31. Satellite locations and weekday hours vary by locality; contact your local registrar.
If mailing your ballot, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day (Nov 3) and received by your local registrar by noon Friday, Nov 6, 2026. Ballots returned in person or at a drop-off location must be in before polls close on Election Day.
Candidates must file their declaration of candidacy and petitions by 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, 2027.
Register by Friday, October 22, 2027 to be on the rolls for the November 2, 2027 election. After that you can still register in person at your registrar's office or at your polling place on election day and vote a provisional ballot.
Virginia law now puts every local election on the November general election date, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November; the next one after November 2026 is Tuesday, November 2, 2027. Since 2022 no Virginia city or town may hold its council, mayoral or school board election in May (Va. Code 15.2-1400(E)), though whether your locality votes in odd-numbered or even-numbered years is still set by its charter or ordinance, so your town may not have local offices on the 2027 ballot.
We publish a gap rather than a guess. These points were not settled by an official source:
Every date above was read from the Virginia election office's own published material, last checked Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Confirm anything you are relying on with your local election authority.
https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/calendars-schedules/upcoming-elections.html
Register to vote or update an existing registration : Through Friday, October 23, 2026. Register to vote or update an existing registration online using the Citizen Portal.
https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/how-to-register/
If mailed, the application must be postmarked no later than the registration deadline.
https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/
If you are returning your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked on or before election day and received by your general registrar's office by noon on the third day following the election
Requested absentee ballots are mailed no later than Sept. 18, including ballots to registered military and overseas voters.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter4/section24.2-416/
The registration records shall be closed during the 10 days before a primary or general election.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter5/section24.2-507/
For a general election in November, by 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday in June;