In response to news that the Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT) launched its new Citizen Portal, allowing Virginia voters to apply for an absentee ballot online, Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker released the following statement:
"I applaud the Governor and the Department of Elections for taking this important step in expanding the ability to vote in Virginia. Many people vote absentee due to busy schedules, medical conditions or travel constraints. I'm pleased to see that the new Citizen Portal will allow these hardworking Virginians to apply for absentee ballots online directly through the Department of Elections and exercise their right to vote."
Per the Department of Elections, absentee ballot applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 27th in order to receive a ballot in the mail. Applications may be submitted through the online citizen portal, or hand-delivered, mailed, faxed, or emailed to the voter’s general registrar’s office. Once a voter receives their absentee ballot in the mail, they have until November 3, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. to return their completed ballot to their voter registration office.