Virginia Sees Record Early Voting Turnout Ahead of Election Day

Early in-person voting for the November election wrapped up in Virginia after recording unprecedented turnout across the state, according to recent figures. State numbers showed that early ballots easily surpassed the final tally from the 2022 midterm elections with nearly two weeks remaining in the early voting period, ultimately cruising to more than 1.6 million early ballots cast. This marks a dramatic increase of over 67 percent compared to the 976,000 early votes recorded during the 2022 midterms.

The surge in early participation was felt in every corner of the commonwealth. All of Virginia's 11 congressional districts experienced at least a 50 percent uptick in early turnout compared to the 2022 figures. Southwest Virginia spearheaded this high level of engagement, with the fifth, sixth, and ninth districts combining for more than 417,000 early votes, representing an 81 percent increase over the previous midterm cycle.

Each of those three southwest districts recorded increases of at least 76 percent, placing them among the top performing areas statewide. No district outpaced its 2022 early turnout more than the ninth district, which featured a high-profile race between incumbent Republican Representative Morgan Griffith and Democratic challenger Joy Powers, driving an 86 percent jump in early participation.

Historical data from the Virginia Department of Elections indicates that while early voting numbers fluctuate wildly between years—swinging from 829,000 in 2023 up to 2.3 million in the 2024 presidential election—Election Day totals have remained relatively stable. Across four of the past five election cycles, single-day turnout has consistently hovered between 2 million and 2.2 million voters.

If historical Election Day turnout trends hold steady this year, total participation in Virginia could exceed 3.6 million voters. Such a milestone would comfortably eclipse the previous Virginia midterm record of 3.3 million votes set in 2018.

As voters head to the polls to finalize the election, state officials remind participants of specific regulations regarding identification and polling place rules. Eligible voters in Virginia are required to show an acceptable form of identification or sign an ID confirmation statement before casting a regular ballot. The required identification does not need to include a photograph.

Acceptable forms of identification include a Virginia driver's license—even an expired one—a valid United States passport or passport card, valid military identification, valid student identification issued by a Virginia high school or university, a Virginia voter identification card, or other government-issued documents. Additionally, utility bills, bank statements, government checks, or paychecks containing the voter's name and address are accepted.

Regarding polling place regulations, Virginia law permits voters to bring children under the age of 15, provided they do not disrupt normal voting procedures. Voters may also bring sample ballots into the voting booth, though they cannot display them to others inside the polling facility, and are permitted to wear campaign-related apparel. However, state law strictly prohibits carrying a firearm within 100 feet of a building used as a polling place, with limited exceptions for law enforcement and authorized security personnel. While cellphones and other electronic devices are allowed, election officers retain the authority to limit their use if they cause disruptions or delays.