Follow WTOP’s team coverage of Election 2026 online, on air at 103.5 FM or on the WTOP News app.
Virginians head to the polls Tuesday for an oddly-timed primary election, a change that stems from this spring’s redistricting battle, and analysts expect it to impact overall turnout.
Virginia’s primary is traditionally held on the third Tuesday in June, but this year’s August election comes after state lawmakers voted to delay the primary while redistricting played out.
Voters narrowly approved the plan to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional maps, but Virginia’s Supreme Court ultimately weighed in and overturned the plan.
Now, voters will be asked to participate at a time typically associated with vacations and back-to-school preparation.
“It is the absolute worst time to hold a primary,” said Bob Holsworth, a Richmond-based political analyst. “People are finishing up their vacations. Parents are waiting for the school year. Very few people are talking about politics at the end of July, the beginning of August.”
In last fall’s gubernatorial election, 3,450,202 people cast a ballot. And in April’s rare special election for the redistricting referendum, 3,103,669 voters participated, according to data from the Virginia Department of Elections.
J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told WTOP the fact that not every district has a primary could also impact turnout.
“Usually, Virginians are in the habit of having these primaries in June. Early August is a bit something new for us,” Coleman said.
However, despite the date change, Coleman said turnout could “still be on par with what we would normally see.”
Democrats could be motivated to vote by affordability concerns or resistance to President Donald Trump, Coleman said, while Republicans could be encouraged to support the White House through the congressional primary races.
Karen Hult, a political science professor at Virginia Tech, told WTOP that turnout will likely be less than a general election, particularly a general election with a presidential race at the top of the ballot.
However, Virginia’s senate race, gas and grocery prices and the war in Iran could motivate more people to vote, Hult said.
“The fact that there is a primary, I think, it still on people’s, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that was still happening’ list,” Hult said.
Typically, in early August, Hult said, many families are thinking about the start of the next school year or are returning from vacations.
The chance to shape the direction of a political party before the 2028 election cycle could also be a motivating factor, Hult said.
However, Holsworth said the lack of very competitive races could also influence turnout.
Races in Virginia’s first and second congressional districts are widely expected to be the most competitive during the primary cycle and general election in November.
In the first district, seven Democrats are lining up for the chance to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman. Shannon Taylor, Henrico’s Commonwealth’s attorney, is considered the front-runner.
And in the second district, four Democrats, including former Rep. Elaine Luria, are competing to unseat Rep. Jen Kiggans.
With the exception of those races, Holsworth, the political analyst, told WTOP he’s “not sure any of those races are going to have a lot of money, a lot of television advertising.”
“By and large, the national purpose of the Republican Party will be spending their money defending the seats they have far more than trying to support long shot challengers in districts that are heavily Democratic,” Holsworth said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
