Virginia Early Voting Ends Soon for Primary Elections

RICHMOND, Virginia — Virginia residents have only a few days left to vote early in state and local primary elections. Early voting for the June 17 primary election concludes on Saturday, June 15. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, voters can cast their ballots early in their registered jurisdictions.

Every locality in Virginia offers early in-person voting, but details such as dates, times, and locations can differ between areas. Voters are required to either present an ID or sign a statement affirming their identity as registered voters to cast a ballot.

This year’s primary includes contested races. For statewide positions, candidates are running for lieutenant governor and attorney general. All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are set for election in the fall.

In the Hampton Roads region, a limited number of primary challenges are occurring, including candidates running in House Districts 70, 89, and 97. Local primaries feature races for positions such as Norfolk commonwealth’s attorney and Chesapeake sheriff.

As of June 9, approximately 143,000 people have already voted statewide in the primaries. This includes over 131,000 Democratic voters and more than 11,000 Republicans, according to reports. The figures encompass those voting in person and by mail.

There are no statewide GOP primaries this year, resulting in a reduced number of Republican participants in local elections. However, voter turnout among Democrats has reached historical highs for an off-year primary election. Early voting has already surpassed totals from the previous two Democratic primaries held in 2023 and 2021, where approximately 129,000 and 124,000 voters participated, respectively.

In the Hampton Roads area, as of June 9, Democratic primary turnout ranged from a high of 7,311 votes (2.2% of registered voters) in Virginia Beach to a low of 1,469 votes (1.9% of registered voters) in Suffolk. Norfolk had the highest percentage of registered voters casting ballots in this Democratic primary, with 4,729 votes amounting to 3.3%.

On the Republican side, Chesapeake led with 3,451 votes, or about 1.9% of registered voters. Election Day is set for Tuesday, June 17, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.