How to Vote by-Mail in Virginia for the local elections on May 5, 2020
Questions? Concerns? Call anytime
Virginia Voter Hotline
844-4VA-VOTE
(844-482-8683)
Important Dates
- Deadline to register to vote for the local elections in May: Monday, April 13, 2020
- By-Mail: must be postmarked by April 13th
- Online: 11:59PM
- In-Person: 5:00 PM
- Deadline to request an Absentee By-Mail Ballot: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 by 5:00 PM
- Must be received by your local registrar by 5:00 PM, either submitted online or received by your local registrar through email, mail, or fax
- Deadline to return your Absentee Ballot: Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 7 PM (close of polls)
How to vote Absentee By-Mail in the local elections in May
To vote Absentee By-Mail, you must submit an application requesting an Absentee Ballot by Tuesday, April 28th at 5 PM. You can do this either online, by mail, by fax, or by email.
- To apply online, please click here.
- To download the application, please click here.
- To find your registrar’s contact information, please click here.
You need an excuse to vote Absentee. Below is the list of acceptable reasons and the supporting information required. Due to COVID-19, you can vote using “2A My disability or illness” to vote Absentee. No supporting information is required using 2A My disability or illness. Voters should request an Absentee Ballot as soon as possible so they can return their ballot before polls close on Election Day.
| Code | Reason | Supporting Information Required |
| 1A | Student attending college or university outside of the Virginia locality they reside in | Name of college or university |
| 1B | Spouse of student attending college or university outside of the Virginia locality they reside in | Name of college or university |
| 1C | Business outside County/City of residence on Election Day | Name of employer or business |
| 1D | Personal business or vacation outside County/City of residence on Election Day | Place of travel (VA County/City or State or Country) |
| 1E | Working and commuting to and from home for 11 or more hours between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM on Election Day | Name of employer or business and Election Day hours of working and commuting (AM to PM) |
| 1F | First responder (member of law enforcement, fire fighter, emergency technician, search and rescue) | Not required |
| 2A | My disability or illness | Not required |
| 2B | I am primarily and personally responsible for the care of a disabled/ill family member confined at home | Family Relationship |
| 2C | My pregnancy | Not required |
| 3A | Confined, awaiting trial | Name of institution |
| 3B | Confined, convicted of a misdemeanor | Name of institution |
| 4A | An electoral board member, registrar, officer of election, or custodian of voting equipment | Not required |
| 5A | I have a religious obligation | Not required |
| 6A | Active Duty Merchant Marine or Armed Forces | Branch of service |
| 6B | Spouse or dependent living with a member of 6A | Branch of service |
| 6C | Temporarily residing outside of US | Enter your last date of residency at your Virginia voting residence only if you have given up that address permanently or have no intent to return |
| 6D | Temporarily residing outside of US for employment or spouse or dependent residing with employee | Name of business or employer |
| 7A | Requesting a ballot for presidential and vice-presidential electors only | New state of resident and date moved from Virginia. Only eligible if you moved less than 30 days before the presidential election. |
| 8A | Authorized representative of candidate or party service inside the polling place | Not required |
| 9A | Granted a protective order issued by or under the authority of a court of competent jurisdiction | Name of the county or city in Virginia or the state of the issuing court |
If you are a first-time voter who registered to vote by-mail, please call the Virginia Voter Hotline at 844-4VA-VOTE (844-482-8683) for more information.
Where are the local elections in May and how do I check to see if I am eligible to vote in a local election?
To see where there are local elections and a sample ballot, please click here.
If you are a registered voter, you can check if you are eligible to vote in a local election by accessing your voter registration record on the Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal. To look up your voter registration record on the Citizen Portal, please click here.