2025 Voter Guide: Southwest & Southside Virginia (original) (raw)
Some of the features in this Voter Guide were made possible through the Knight Election Center and a grant from Microsoft.
Virginia has three election dates for 2025.
- January 7: Special elections in three General Assembly districts where members have resigned, two in Northern Virginia, one in Southside.
- June 17: Primary elections.
- November 4: Virginians will be voting for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, members of the House of Delegates and multiple local offices.
We’ll post information on the June 17 and November 4 elections as more information becomes available. For now, we’ve updated this Voter Guide with information on the January 7 special elections.
Who’s running and where?
Here are the three districts with special elections on January 7. We’ve sent questionnaires to all the candidates. Some have answered, and their responses are below. Some have not. If they respond, we’ll add their responses.
Our Virginia Voter Guide is made possible by your membership and contributions. Your support enables us to provide comprehensive candidate information, election coverage, and public Q&A sessions. Sign up now to help us continue this important work and keep Virginia voters informed!
Key dates: When does voting begin?
For the three January 7 specital elections in House District 26, Senate District 10 and Senate District 32:
December 11: Early voting begins at your local registrar’s office.
December 27: Deadline to apply for a mail ballot.
December 31: Deadline to register to vote if you’re not already registered. (Voters may register after this date using a provisional ballot). Are you registered to vote? Check here.
December 28: Registrars offices will be open on Saturday, Dec. 28 for early voting.
January 4: Last day to vote early in-person at your local registrar’s office. Offices close at 5 p.m.
January 7: In-person voting day at regular polling place. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Keep up with our political coverage by signing up for our free daily email newsletter and our weekly political newsletter, West of the Capital.
Where is my polling place?
How to vote
Can I vote with an out-of-state or expired license?
Yes. If you get to your polling place without an acceptable ID, you can sign a statement affirming your identity and vote on a regular ballot, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. If your license is expired, you can still use it to vote.
How can I vote by mail in Virginia?
You can request a mail-in ballot for the primary election until October 25.
Request the mail-in ballot on Virginia’s election portal, or by mailing an application for an absentee ballot to your local voter registration office. You can find the address for your voter registration office on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
You can also request an absentee ballot up to 11 days until October 25. After October 25, only emergency absentee ballots are available until the day before the election. To qualify for an emergency absentee ballot, you need to have a serious conflict (like a work conflict, or a health issue of an immediate family member).
Can I vote early in-person?
Yes. You can vote early in-person at your local registrar’s office. You can find the location of the general registrar’s office in your jurisdiction and read more about early voting on the Virginia Department of Elections’ website.
When do polls open?
Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday Nov. 5.
If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.
Can I vote from jail in Virginia?
In many cases, yes. If you do not have a felony conviction, or if the governor has restored your right to vote after a felony conviction, you can vote – even from jail. This includes if you are being detained awaiting your court date, or are in jail for a misdemeanor conviction.
If you have a felony conviction, you can petition the governor to restore your voting rights.
Not sure if you’re eligible to vote?
Check your registration status at virginia.gov.
You can also check out Virginia’s list of voter rights, and read ProPublica’s guide on voting accessibility for more information.
Local races: We’ll update these pages once information becomes available.
Races by county (Not yet updated for 2025)