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Frequently Asked Questions


Voting in Virginia
Is Virginia's Republican Primary winner take all?

Yes, Virginia's Republican Primary is winner take all.  It binds the delegates selected at State and Congressional Conventions on the first round of Presidential balloting.

How do I become a Delegate to the National GOP Convention?
Delegates to the National Convention are selected by in two ways.
Each Congressional District will elect 3 delegates and 3 alternates at their Congressional District Convention. For more information on your Congressional District Convention, please contact your Congressional District GOP Chair. Please note that each Congressional District sets their own pre-filing deadlines and requirements for individuals wishing to run for National Delegate.

The remaining 27 at-large delegates and alternates will be selected at the State Convention (May 30-31 in Richmond). Candidates for delegate will be required to submit themselves to the Nominating Committee at the beginning of the convention in order to be considered. Filing forms are available here.

How do I become a Delegate to the State GOP Convention?

Delegates to the State Convention are selected at local County and City Mass Meetings, Canvasses, and Conventions.  Dates for these can be found on our "Calls and Meetings" page or by contacting your local Party Chair.  All voters who are eligible under the State Party Plan can participate, you don’t have to be a member of your local GOP Committee.

 

Many committees require voters to pre-file to be delegates (that is, declare their intent to be delegates in advance), and you should ask your local party chair for the proper form.

Who can vote Absentee?

  • Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his
    business, profession, or occupation or while on personal business or
    vacation, will be absent from the county or city in which he is entitled
    to vote;

  • Any person who is (i) a member of a uniformed service of
    the United States, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1973ff-6(7), on active duty,
    or (ii) a member of the merchant marine of the United States, or (iii) who
    temporarily resides outside of the United States, or (iv) the spouse or
    dependent residing with any person listed in (i), (ii), or (iii), and who
    will be absent on the day of the election from the county or city in which
    he is entitled to vote. See
    Absentee Voting Procedures for Overseas Personnel (Military & Non-Military)

  • Any student attending a school or institution of learning,
    or his spouse, who will be absent on the day of election from the county
    or city in which he is entitled to vote;

  • Any person who is unable to go in person to the polls on
    the day of election because of a physical disability or physical illness;

  • Any person who is confined while awaiting trial or for
    having been convicted of a misdemeanor, provided that the trial or release
    date is scheduled on or after the third day preceding the election. Any
    person who is awaiting trial and is a resident of the county or city where
    he is confined shall, on his request, be taken to the polls to vote on
    election day if his trial date is postponed and he did not have an
    opportunity to vote absentee;

  • Any person who is a member of an electoral board,
    registrar, officer of election, or custodian of voting equipment;

  • Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person
    to the polls on the day of the election because he is primarily and
    personally responsible for the care of an ill or disabled family member
    who is confined at home; or

  • Any duly registered person who is unable to go in person
    to the polls on the day of the election because of an obligation
    occasioned by his religion.

  • Any person who, in the regular and orderly course of his
    business, profession, or occupation, will be at his place of work and
    commuting to and from his home to his place of work for eleven or more
    hours of the thirteen that the polls are open (6:00 AM to 7:00 PM).


  • Any registered
    and qualified voter may request a mail ballot for
    presidential and vice-presidential
    electors only     by writing across the top of their absentee
    application "request ballot for presidential electors only." A voter who
    votes a "presidential only" ballot may not later decide to vote the rest
    of the ballot. The same procedures and deadlines apply as for other
    absentee applications and ballots.


New registrants who
submitted their voter registration applications by mail must vote in
person (either in-person absentee or at the polls on election day) unless
the voter is a full time college student, absent active duty military,
residing overseas, physically handicapped, age 65 or over (however, they
must also list a qualifying reason for voting absentee, as age itself does
not qualify a voter for an absentee ballot), or voting a "presidential only"
ballot.


Any voter with a question
about whether they qualify to vote absentee, or how to apply, should
contact their local elections office.

How do I get an Absentee Ballot in order to vote if I won't be in town on Election Day?

  • You can contact your local
    Voter
    Registration Office     to request an absentee ballot application. You can
    either return the completed application to your local voter registration
    office either by mail or fax. The absentee ballot application must be
    received in your local voter registration office by the Tuesday before
    election day to receive a ballot by mail.

  • Alternatively, you can download The
    Virginia Absentee Ballot Application     (on-line fillable pdf format). Or, if you are an
    absent active duty military voter (or spouse/dependent) or overseas voter
    you should
    download
    the Federal Post Card Application     instead of the Virginia application.
    You must have the Adobe™ Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to
    view or print either portable document formatted (pdf) application. If
    you do not have Adobe™ Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you can

    download and install the Adobe™ Acrobat Reader     free of charge.
    After downloading the application form: 1) print the form, 2) read the
    instructions accompanying the form, 3) fill out the requested information on
    the form carefully, 4) sign the form and, 5) mail or fax the completed
    application to your
    local general registrar's office     by the Tuesday before election day to
    receive a ballot by mail. (Note, if you email or fax the
    Federal
    Post Card Application    , you must then mail the signed original to your
    local registrar, as it also serves as your registration application.)

What District am I in?

Click here to go to a page to enter some address information and see...

Who is on the ballot in my area?

Here is a good source of information, up to the minute, so-to-speak, since candiates to be listed on the ballots have to go thru SBE... Click Here

What Elections are comming up?

The State Board of Elections, conveniently has a link where you can search for such things by your area or even statewide... Click here

I would like to be involved as a delegate. How do I do that?

Delegates to the State Convention will be selected at local committee processes (either Mass Meetings, Canvasses, or Conventions). You should touch base with the Chesterfield GOP chair for more info. Delegates to the National Convention will be selected at Congressional District Conventions and the State Convention.

I have a Local Republican Committee application, but do I need to register with the RPV first?

There’s no need to register with the State Party to be a member of your local
committee.

How do I register to vote/be a Republican?

There’s currently no party registration in Virginia, so there’s no way to register as a Republican in the eyes of the Commonwealth. We do, however, provide membership cards to sustaining members (a $45 dollar donation)

There IS a bill before the Legislature to recify that.

How do I vote absentee?

Once you have the ballot (see other FAQ on how to get) Virginia law prescribes that Applications for absentee
ballots shall be completed in one of the following manners:

  • 1) In Person

    An application completed in person shall be made not less
    than three days prior to the election in which the applicant offers to
    vote and completed only in the office of the local general registrar. The
    applicant shall sign the application in the presence of a registrar or the
    secretary of the electoral board.

  • By mail, electronic or telephonic transmission
    to a facsimile device

    • Applications can be made by mail, electronic or
      by fax, if one is available to the
      office of the local general registrar. If a facsimile device is not available
      locally contact the SBE Here . The
      application shall be sent to the appropriate local general registrar not less than
      seven days prior to the election in which the applicant offers to vote.

Where do I go to vote?

At your voting place of course!... In all seriousness, the best link to that info is here... good luck, and see you at the polls!