Below you will find key dates, times, & locations, plus detailed instructions on how to cast your vote. 

MAKE A PLEDGE TO VOTE!
Let us know your commitment to voting in this year's election simply by tapping or clicking the button below.

When, Where, & How To Vote

We're sure you already know this, but voting is a very important civic duty & privilege we have as citizens. If you haven't already made a pledge to vote, scroll back up to do so. After you've pledged, continue to find all the details you need to cast your votes.

Register
To Vote

Are you registered yet?

In order to vote, you must be registered by Oct 12, 2021. Click on the blue button below to check your current voter status.

When
To Vote

Early Voting Dates

Did you know you can vote before election day in-person or by mail? Take advantage of early voting, but hurry because it's only available during the following dates:

SEPT. 17th - OCT. 30th

Going To The Polls Instead? Election Day is...

NOV. 2ND

How
To Vote

How do you plan to vote?

As a resident of Virginia, you have a couple different methods of how you can cast your vote; In-person, or by mail.

Voting in Person?

Voting by Mail?

The deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you is

OCT. 22nd

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Terry McAuliffe

for Governor

As Virginia's next Governor, Terry will continue the fight for civil rights and voting rights, attract businesses to create the best jobs and raise wages, ensure all Virginians have access to quality affordable healthcare, build a clean energy economy to address climate change, and address the affordable housing crisis our communities are facing. Most importantly, Terry will make an unprecendented investment in education. The time is now to ensure a world-class education for every Virginia child. Our future and our children cannot wait. 

Hala Ayala

for Lt. Governor

As chief deputy whip in the House of Delegates, Hala played a key role in raising Virginia’s minimum wage and ensuring that Virginia continues to be the leading state in the country to do business. In the House of Delegates, Hala received the praise of small business owners when she patroned paid family and medical legislation that would provide every Virginian worker with 12 weeks of paid leave for major events including adoption or childbirth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hala put Virginia workers first when she introduced a bill mandating hazard pay for essential workers. As Virginia’s next lieutenant governor, Hala will lead Virginia’s pandemic recovery and ensure that every Virginian comes back stronger than before.

Mark Herring

for Attorney General

As attorney general, Mark is a leading voice for criminal justice reform in the Commonwealth. He led on decriminalization of cannabis, and is continuing to push for legal, regulated adult use and to resolve past convictions, He is also championing progressive reform measures like cash bail reform, expanding record expungement and reentry programs, diversifying the judiciary, and increasing safety, transparency, and accountability in policing, use of force, and deaths in custody.

Joshua Cole

for House of Delegates

In 2017, Joshua Cole proudly ran for the Virginia House of Delegates to represent Virginia’s 28th District, becoming the first African-American and youngest person to receive any party’s nomination, along the way. In a hard-fought race, Joshua finished less than 100 votes shy of having the honor of representing the 28th District. In 2019, he came back and finished the job – becoming one of the youngest members elected to the Virginia General Assembly Delegate Cole has served on Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent’s Equity, Diversity and Opportunity Committee. He is a member of the Greater Fredericksburg Area Interfaith Council and the former President of the Stafford County NAACP. In 2020, he was elected as one of the five Democratic National Committee representatives from Virginia. He currently serves as an Associate Pastor at Union Bell Baptist Church in South Stafford and the Chairman of the House of Clergy for the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches. Joshua was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the State Commission on Youth, Autism Advisory Council, the Rappahannock River Basin Commission, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission, and others. Fighting for Us Clear in all of this work is Joshua’s commitment to the communities of the 28th District. Joshua knows not only what it takes to live here, but what it means to build a home in Fredericksburg and Stafford County. He understands the excruciating drive along I-95 that is the bedrock of so many constituent commutes. He’s seen first-hand the ever-increasing cost of living in this community, and has sat with hardworking friends and neighbors, proud Virginians, who simply want to find a way to raise their family in the same town in which they grew up. In Richmond, Joshua has taken a people first approach to policy making. In his first term, he voted to increase access to affordable healthcare, raise the minimum wage and make community college tuition free. Joshua has been a fierce advocate for progressive policy. He has taken on big issues like Climate Change, voting to protect our natural resources and hold big businesses accountable. He supported legislation that would reign in polluters and set higher standards for clean air and water quality. Joshua also patronted historic legislation that will rename Jefferson Davis Highway to Emancipation Highway. Joshua was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the State Commission on Youth, Autism Advisory Council, the Rappahannock River Basin Commission, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission, and others. He also serves on the House Committees on Education, Public Safety and Chesapeake, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
MAKE A PLEDGE TO VOTE

MAKING A PLEDGE IS EASY

Let us know your commitment to voting in this year's election simply by tapping or clicking the button below.

Why Your Vote Is Important?

If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history.

In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case (Bush v. Gore). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008.

More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency.

Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters.

A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/why-voting-important/

Frequently Asked Questions

If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history.

In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case (Bush v. Gore). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008.

More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency.

Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters.

A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/why-voting-important/

A governor is the state’s highest-ranking elected official, but his or her actual duties are more varied than, say, an elected member of the state legislature, whose main role is to propose and vote on new legislation. A governor’s responsibilities vary from state to state depending on the constitution within that state.

A governor’s official duties can include signing bills into law, serving as commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard and militia forces, convening special sessions of the state legislature, delivering a “state of the state” address to citizens, granting commutations and pardons to prisoners and appointing people to various judicial and state offices.

The governor is also a high-profile member of his or her political party and has much sway over its policies. In effect, the governor of each state is similar to the U.S. president, but on a smaller scale. The governor leads the executive branch of each state, whose job it is to carry out the governor’s policies. They even live in an official residence administered by the state, known as a governor’s mansion.

The governor also influences decisions made by the state’s legislative bodies. He or she can push for various bills and policy initiatives to pass. A governor can use his or her standing to commend or criticize a bill in the legislature. In some states, the governor can also veto a bill once it has passed, although this is rare — in California, only about 7 percent of bills get vetoed [source: California State Government Guide]. In some states, a governor has the power of line-item vetoes, which is the ability to eliminate certain specific items from the proposed state budget.

A governor is also the ceremonial head of state and often hosts dignitaries from other states or countries. He or she uses their position to bolster the state’s standing in the world, to attract new businesses and industries and to form partnerships with other governments. A governor also attends public events and ceremonies and visits with constituents across the state.

Source: https://people.howstuffworks.com/government/local-politics/state-governor1.htm

Generally, the lieutenant governor is the state’s highest officer following the governor and assumes the role when the governor is out of state or incapacitated. The lieutenant governor also becomes the governor should the governor die, resign or be removed from office.

The lieutenant governor is also frequently the presiding officer of the upper house of the state legislature, similar to the Vice President of the United States. Lieutenant governors are the only officials with specific duties and powers in two branches of state government: the executive and legislative branches. More than half of the NLGA members preside over their state senate. Most pursue legislative initiatives; many testify locally and in Washington D.C. in various capacities; some serve on the governors’ cabinets, while others maintain varied portfolios of duties. In many states, the duties of lieutenant governor are increased by legislation to include the lieutenant governor on state boards, commissions and task forces.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_governor_(United_States)#Duties

The attorney general is an executive office in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., that serves as the chief legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer for the state government and is empowered to prosecute violations of state law, represent the state in legal disputes and issue legal advice to state agencies and the legislature. In most states, the attorney general has a substantial influence on a state’s approach to law enforcement. Attorneys general often set particular law enforcement priorities (e.g. drug law, civil rights violations or sexual crime) and focus extra resources on these issues. This puts them, in the words of the National Association of Attorneys General, at the “intersection of law and public policy.”[1][2]

 

Source: https://ballotpedia.org/Attorney_General_(state_executive_office)

Delegates are able to perform many of the functions of a full representative, such as serve on committees, speak on the U.S. House floor, introduce bills, and offer amendments. However, they are not able to vote while conducting business as the Committee as the Whole or on final passage of legislation. Delegates to the U.S. House serve two-year terms. 

Source: https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_congressional_non-voting_members

I want to vote early

Early in-person voting

September 17, 2021 – October 30, 2021

Monday through Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday October 9 and 16 - 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 23 and 30 - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 24 – 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Locations

- The Prince William County Office of Elections, 9250 Lee Avenue, Suite 1, Manassas.
- The Haymarket Gainesville Community Library, 14870 Lightner Road, Haymarket.
- Department of Motor Vehicle Woodbridge Customer Service Center, Elections Office, 2731 Caton Hill Road, Woodbridge.

October 18, 2021 – October 30, 2021

Monday through Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 23 and 30 - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Locations

- The Brentsville Courthouse Historic District, 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow - Dumfries Community Center, 17755 Main Street, Dumfries