More than 120,000 Virginians registered to vote between July and September, according to the state’s elections department.
Over half of the new registrants are women, and approximately 45% are 25 or younger.
Officially, Tuesday is the last day to register to vote or update an existing registration before Election Day on Nov. 5 — but would-be voters who miss the deadline still have options.
Virginia is one of 23 states that offers same-day voter registration, which allows eligible voters to register and cast a ballot at the same time. Before the 2022 general election, registration closed 21 days before Election Day.
Prior to Election Day, Virginia residents can apply for same-day registration at a local general registrar’s office or satellite early voting location. Same-day registration is only available on Election Day at a voter’s designated polling place.
Same-day registrants must prove that they are eligible to vote — be a U.S. citizen age 18 or older — in their locality and not registered in another locality where they are planning to cast a ballot.
Most same-day voters are given provisional ballots, which are used by voters who do not appear on the list of registered voters or at their assigned polling location.
Provisional ballots are handled, stored and counted differently from standard ballots. Local electoral boards review provisional ballots in a meeting at a later date.
The electoral board will work with the general registrar’s offices to determine whether the registration should be approved. If OK’d, the ballot will then be counted; if it’s not, the general registrar’s office will send a written notice.
Over 710,000 Virginians have cast ballots since early voting began on Sept. 20, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Residents can register or update their information by Oct. 15 on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
