VIRGINIA, USA — Virginia's 2024 presidential primary is coming up, where Republicans and Democrats across the Commonwealth will pick the candidates they want to face off in the November general election.
The primary election will take place on Tuesday, March 5, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Virginia is one of 15 states, along with American Samoa, participating in Super Tuesday, when the highest number of states hold presidential primary elections all on the same day. The outcome will likely indicate the frontrunner for each party's presidential nomination since hundreds of delegates will be up for grabs.
From the candidates to voter registration info, here's everything you need to know about voting in the primary.
Who’s on the ballot in Virginia’s 2024 presidential primary
Virginia Republican primary
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, businessman Ryan Binkley, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will be on the ballot.
Haley, the last remaining major challenger, has vowed to stay in the race as an alternative to Trump, who is facing several legal challenges but yet maintains strong support among the party's base.
While they'll appear on the primary ballot, DeSantis, Christie, and Ramaswamy have dropped out of the presidential race.
Virginia Democratic primary
Biden will appear on the Democratic presidential primary ballot, alongside self-help author Marianne Williamson and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips.
Phillips is considered a long-shot candidate amid Biden's significant leads in national polling, high fundraising hauls, and support from other high-profile leaders in the Democratic Party. Williamson has dropped out of the race.
Where to find sample ballots
Here is a list of sample ballots broken down by city or county across Northern Virginia:
Dates, voter deadlines, and rules for the 2024 Virginia presidential primary
- The first day of in-person early voting was Friday, Jan. 19.
- The deadline to register to vote, or update an existing registration was Feb. 12. However, people can register after this date through Election Day, and vote by provisional ballot.
- The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Feb. 23. The request must be received by the local voter registration office by 5 p.m.
- Voter registration offices open for early voting on Feb. 24.
- The last day of in-person early voting at the local voter registration office is March 2.
Virginia voter ID rules
People who are voting in person in Virginia will be asked to show a form of identification. Any voter who doesn't have an ID can instead sign a statement affirming their identity, according to the Virginia Department of Elections website. Voters who don't have an ID and don't sign the statement can vote using a provisional ballot.
Virginia voter registration: How to check your status
Before arriving at polling places, Virginians need to be registered to vote. And to be registered, people first have to be eligible to vote per state law.
According to the Virginia Department of Elections, to be eligible to vote in Virginia elections, people must:
- Be a permanent resident of Virginia (not just someone who is here for an extended period).
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Be 18 years old (Those who are 17 can vote in the primary if they turn 18 by the general election).
- Not be registered and planning to vote in another state.
- Must be mentally competent.
- Convicted felons must have had their voting rights restored.
If you're not sure whether or not you are a registered voter, you can check Virginia voter registration status as well as find your polling place and apply for absentee voting by mail on the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.
If you need to register to vote after Feb. 12, you'll need to follow Virginia's same-day voter registration guidelines. Same-day registration has begun and is only available in person at the general registrar’s office for your locality, at your satellite early voting site during the early voting period, and at your precinct on Election Day.
Where do I vote? Here's how to find your polling location in Virginia.
Virginia in-person voting
Your polling place for in-person voting is based on the address you use to register to vote. It's usually listed on a paper voter card mailed to voters after they register. The Virginia Department of Elections website also has a polling location lookup tool so you can find the address for your voting location there at any time.
Virginia absentee voting
For absentee voting, you can use the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal or reach out to your voter registrar’s office directly to request an absentee ballot. If you don't know the contact information for your voter registrar, you can look it up by locality online.
Virginia early voting
Early voting is held at your local registrar's office or a satellite voting location in your county or city, and the dates and times for early voting may vary by locality.
You can look up the location, the website, and regular business hours of your local registrar's office via a tool on the Department of Elections website. You may also want to check your local voter registrar's website for specific early voting dates and times — there are usually several weekend days on which they open specifically for early voting.
Do I have to register by political party for the 2024 Virginia primaries?
No, because Virginia has open primaries and doesn't have party registration. Anyone registered to vote can vote in either primary, but no one is allowed to vote in both primaries.
When you go to vote, you'll pick which primary you want to participate in and vote accordingly.
Does Virginia have other races this year?
Yes! Virginia will hold primary elections on June 18 for all 11 U.S. House seats and the U.S. Senate seat held by Tim Kaine.
There are no state-level elections this year since Virginia holds its legislative and gubernatorial elections on off years. The last state-level election was in November 2023, when both the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates were on the ballot. The next state-level election will be in November 2025.