Virginia primary election guide 2018

Editor’s note: See all of WTOP’s primary coverage on our Elections and Politics page.

WASHINGTON — Virginia voters will be selecting candidates from the major parties for the U.S. House and Senate, as well as in local races, in the primary to be held on June 12.

On the ballot

In the WTOP listening area, the most hotly contested U.S. House primary race is in the 10th Congressional District. The Republican Party will pick a challenger to U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, and candidates will be chosen for the Arlington County Board, as well as the mayor and City Council in Alexandria.

Voting

The deadline for registering to vote in Tuesday’s primary has passed. You can still register to vote in November’s general election.

When are the polls open?

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on June 12. If you’re in line by 7 p.m., they’ll let you vote.

Identification

Voters in Virginia are required to show an ID when they go to the polls. These forms of identification are considered valid:

Virginia driver’s license
Virginia DMV-issued photo ID
United States passport
Employer-issued photo ID
Student photo ID issued by a school, college, or university located in Virginia
Other U.S. or Virginia government-issued photo ID
Tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID
Virginia Voter Photo ID card

If you need a photo ID, you can get one for free at your registrar’s office. If you don’t know where that is, you can find it on the Board of Elections website.

Where do I vote?

You can look it up on the Board of Elections website.

Absentee voting

If you want an absentee ballot mailed to you, the deadline to ask for one is 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 5.

If you want an absentee ballot in person, the deadline to ask for one is 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9.

In both cases, that’s when the request must be received by your registrar. If you don’t know where that is, you can look on the Virginia Board of Elections website.

The Board of Elections warns that it takes the Postal Service two to five days to deliver First Class Mail and two to nine days to deliver Standard Mail — something to keep in mind when you’re pondering whether to vote absentee.