How to vote · 2026

Virginia

Any voter can request a mail ballot

Registration, mail-ballot, and early-voting dates, with source notes and official election-office links. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Deadlines move. Courts and legislatures were still changing 2026 rules as this page was compiled (last reviewed September 1, 2026). Confirm anything that affects your vote with the Virginia election office ↗.

Dates and rules

Registration, mail ballots, and early voting

Registration deadlineOctober 23, 2026Advance registration by Oct. 23, 2026 (11 days before Election Day). After that, voters may register in person and cast a provisional ballot through Election Day; contact your registrar for requirements.

Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 23, 2026

Mail ballots first sentAbout September 18, 2026Mail ballots are sent to approved applicants around the start of the absentee-voting period; confirm dispatch with your registrar. Requests must arrive by 5 p.m. Oct. 23. Mailed returns must be postmarked by Election Day and received by noon Nov. 6.

Return rulePostmarked by Election Day and received by noon Nov. 6, 2026

Early in-person votingSeptember 18, 2026Through October 31, 2026 · In-person early voting at local registrar offices begins Friday, Sept. 18, 2026 (45 days) and ends 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31; satellite locations vary.

Official VA election site ↗Automated verification has not confirmed every listed date. Check the official election office for current deadlines and eligibility rules.Sources: [1] Virginia election calendar: advance registration and mail requests close Oct. 23; early voting Sept. 18-Oct. 31.[2] Virginia Dept. of Elections: 45-day early/absentee voting; 2026 start Sept. 18 (also published by localities such as Fairfax County)[3] USA.gov directory of official state election offices [4] Mail voting Sept. 18-Nov. 6, 2026; includes VA Dept. of Elections correspondence (May 2026)[5] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[6] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline [7] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline

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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.

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