In Virginia, people can start voting early for who they want in the U.S. House and Senate on Friday.
Even though the big vote is on June 18, folks can go in person and vote early from Friday until June 15. In November, folks will vote for one of Virginia’s U.S. Senate spots and all 11 spots for the House of Representatives. But not every spot will have an early vote.
Here are the races with early voting in Hampton Roads:
– U.S. Senate spot — for Republicans
– 1st Congressional District — for Democrats
– 2nd Congressional District — for Democrats
Sen. Tim Kaine doesn’t have any Democrats running against him, but there are five Republicans hoping to take him on in November. They are Hung Cao, Edward “Eddie” Garcia Jr., Jonathan Emord, C.L. “Chuck” Smith, Jr., and Scott Parkinson.
In Hampton Roads, there are three areas for Congress, and Democrats will pick their candidates for two of them. In the 1st District, Leslie Mehta and Herbert Jones Jr. are going against each other to run against Republican Rep. Rob Wittman in November. This district goes from the suburbs of Richmond down through York and James City counties, Williamsburg, and Poquoson.
In the 2nd District, Missy Cotter Smasal and Jeremiah “Jake” Denton IV are competing for the Democratic spot. Whoever wins will take on Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans, and this race is seen as one of the toughest in the country. Kiggans won against Elaine Luria in 2022. This district covers the Eastern Shore, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight, and Franklin.
In the 3rd District, held by Democrat Bobby Scott, there are no early votes because there aren’t any primary contests. This district includes all of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Newport News, and part of Chesapeake.
In Virginia, anyone can ask for a Democratic or Republican ballot since it’s an open primary state. But you can only pick one, not both. Just because you vote in a party’s primary doesn’t mean you’re joining that party officially because Virginia doesn’t do party registration.
If you’re a registered voter and want to vote early in person, you should go to the office of the person in charge of voting in the area where you’re registered. You can find this on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Newport News is also letting people vote early in person at City Center Fountain Plaza at 700 Town Center Drive on some days. You can check the website for more info.
Starting Friday, people who asked for absentee ballots will get them in the mail, even if they’re in the military or living outside the country. If you’re registered to vote, you can ask for an absentee ballot in person, by mail, online, or by contacting the voting office. You don’t need a special reason to ask for an absentee ballot. The last day to ask for a ballot by mail is June 7.
You can drop off your absentee ballot at the voting office or at the voting place on Election Day. If you mail your ballot, it has to be stamped by June 18.
The last day to sign up to vote in the primary and to vote in person is May 28. If you register after that or on the day of the primary, you can still vote, but you’ll use a provisional ballot.