Virginia voter guide: 2023 primary election — what you need to know

Primary elections have kicked off in Virginia, with Democratic and Republican races for state offices, county boards and more.

Election Day for primaries falls on Tuesday, June 20, but voting began in early May. Click here to check or update your voter registration before May 30.

From important deadlines to who’s on the ballot, here’s what you need to know.

When, where and how to vote

Dates at a glance:

  • In-person early voting: May 5 to June 17
  • Last day to register in advance: May 30
  • Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot: June 9
  • Election Day, June 20: Polls open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Voting in-person:

Early voting began at voter registration offices statewide on May 5 and continues through 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. Use this tool to find your registrar office’s location and hours. Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties offer additional early voting sites at select libraries, community centers and government offices.

Remember: You don’t need a reason or application to vote early. Curbside voting is available for residents age 65 and older, or those with disabilities.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 20. Find your polling place here. If you’ve missed the registration deadline of May 30, same-day registration lets you cast a provisional ballot on Election Day, subject to approval by the local electoral board.

Whether you vote in-person in advance or on Election Day, you’ll need to present a valid form of identification on site, like a Virginia driver’s license, U.S. passport, recent utility bill or student card. See a list of acceptable forms of ID.

Voting absentee:

If you’d like to vote from the comfort of your own home, you have until 5 p.m. on Friday, June 9, to request an absentee ballot. You can have a ballot mailed to you by requesting one online or by handing a completed application form to your local registrar by mail, fax or email before the deadline. Voting from abroad? See here for instructions.

Completed ballots can be returned to a drop-off site, your registrar’s office, any Election Day polling location, or by mail. Your ballot will come with directions on where to find drop-off boxes in your neighborhood. If you’re dropping off your ballot, you have until 7 p.m. on June 20 to do so. Votes sent in by mail need to be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by noon on Friday, June 23.

Don’t forget to sign the witness statement on the ballot envelope in order for your vote to be counted on time. Questions? Contact the Virginia Department of Elections at 800-552-9745 or info@elections.virginia.gov.

If you’ve requested a mail-in ballot or sent one in already, you can track its progress online. Fairfax County residents should track their ballot here instead.



Who’s on the ballot in the DC area?

Names are shown below in the order they’ll appear on the ballot, along with a link to each candidate’s campaign website. For reference, current officeholders are listed in bold. This list doesn’t include primaries in which a candidate is uncontested, and focuses on races in the D.C. region — to see who’s on the ballot elsewhere in Virginia, head here.

If you’re an Arlington County resident, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with ranked choice voting, or RCV, before mulling over your ballot. Arlington is Virginia’s first locality to implement RCV, which lets voters rank candidates in order of preference. Democratic primary voters will have the ability to mark their first, second and third choices in the race for two seats on the county board.

State legislature

Member, House of Delegates
2nd District (Arlington): Democratic primary

Note: Kevin Saucedo-Broach has withdrawn from the race. His name will still appear on the ballot because he withdrew after ballots were printed. 

7th District (Fairfax): Democratic primary
15th District (Fairfax): Democratic primary
19th District (Fairfax, Prince William): Democratic primary
21st District (Prince William): Republican primary
26th District (Loudoun): Democratic primary
65th District (Spotsylvania, Stafford, Fredericksburg): Republican primary
Member, State Senate (names in bold reflect those seeking reelection) 
27th District (Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg): Republican primary
27th District: Democratic primary
29th District (Stafford, Prince William): Republican primary
29th District: Democratic primary
30th District (Prince William, Manassas): Republican primary
31st District (Loudoun, Fauquier): Democratic primary
32nd District (Loudoun): Democratic primary
33rd District (Prince William, Fairfax): Democratic primary
35th District (Fairfax): Democratic primary
36th District (Fairfax): Democratic primary
37th District (Falls Church, Fairfax): Democratic primary
40th District (Arlington): Democratic primary

County offices

Arlington
Commonwealth’s Attorney: Democratic primary
Member, County Board: Democratic primary
Sheriff: Democratic primary
Prince William
Chair, Board of Supervisors: Republican primary
Chair, Board of Supervisors: Democratic primary
Member, Board of Supervisors — Neabsco District: Democratic primary
Member, Board of Supervisors — Potomac District: Democratic primary
Fairfax
Chair, Board of Supervisors: Democratic primary
Commonwealth’s Attorney: Democratic primary
Member, Board of Supervisors — Dranesville District: Democratic primary
Member, Board of Supervisors — Mason District: Democratic primary
Member, Board of Supervisors — Mount Vernon District: Democratic primary
Member, Board of Supervisors — Springfield District: Democratic primary
Sheriff: Democratic primary
Loudoun
Commonwealth’s Attorney: Democratic primary
Fauquier
Member, Board of Supervisors — Lee District: Republican primary
Member, Board of Supervisors — Marshall District: Republican primary
Stafford
Treasurer: Republican primary
Alejandro Alvarez

Alejandro Alvarez joined WTOP as a digital journalist and editor in June 2018. He is a reporter and photographer focusing on politics, political activism and international affairs.

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