Virginia 2024 Election Day: Polls Open for Congress, Constitutional Amendments, and Local Races

Virginia’s polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will close at 7 p.m., giving voters their final chance to decide control of Congress and three proposed constitutional amendments after a record-breaking early voting turnout. More than 1.6 million Virginians had already cast ballots through Saturday, the final day of in-person early voting, according to the Virginia Mercury.

The stakes stretch from the U.S. Senate down to local school boards. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner is defending his seat against a retired Army major general, while all 11 of Virginia’s U.S. House seats are in play as both parties battle for the national majority. Voters will also weigh in on amendments protecting reproductive rights, marriage equality, and voting rights for people with felony convictions.

Anyone in line by 7 p.m. can still vote

The practical details matter as much as the races. Anyone standing in line when polls close at 7 p.m. gets to vote. Virginians can look up their assigned precinct through the Department of Elections’ voter information portal, keeping in mind that Election Day polling places may differ from early voting locations. Voters should bring acceptable identification, though those without it can sign an ID confirmation statement. Eligible residents who missed the registration deadline can still register at their precinct and cast a provisional ballot.

Virginia polls open as Election Day gets underway

Absentee deadlines are firm: completed ballots delivered in person must arrive by 7 p.m. Tuesday, while mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and delivered no later than Friday, Nov. 6.

Record early turnout signals engaged electorate

The early voting numbers tell a story of a state that has fully embraced no-excuse early voting. The Call the Map tracker recorded 1,630,073 ballots through Saturday, including 1,310,540 cast in person and 319,533 returned by mail, with additional mail ballots still arriving. That total crushes the 976,558 early ballots cast in the 2022 midterms.

It's Election Day in Virginia: Here's what to know before heading to the polls — Photo: newsbreak.com

“Virginians really like no-excuses early voting. That steadily increasing turnout speaks to how convenient it is as well as how comfortable voters feel with that approach,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Mary Washington.

Farnsworth observed that polling and early voting trends offer Democrats grounds for optimism, especially as they contest Republicans in districts that had previously attracted less attention. “It’s clear that Democratic efforts to expand the map to previously less competitive congressional districts have triggered a lot of enthusiasm among voters who are used to living in places where the contests were less uncertain,” he said.

The races that will decide control

In the Senate race, Warner is seeking a fourth term against Republican Bert Mizusawa, a retired U.S. Army major general. Warner has emphasized his legislative experience and opposition to President Donald Trump’s economic and healthcare policies, while Mizusawa argues his military background and Republican connections would give Virginia greater influence with the administration.

Virginia voters speak at the polls on Election Day

Democrats presently control six of Virginia’s 11 House seats, versus five for Republicans, and seek to grow that lead. In the 1st District, Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, who has served since 2007, in a district stretching from Richmond’s suburbs to the Northern Neck and Williamsburg. The 2nd District features a rematch between Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans and Elaine Luria, whom Kiggans defeated in 2022, with both Navy veterans competing in a Virginia Beach-centered district heavy with military population.

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello hopes to reclaim the 5th District from Republican U.S. Rep. John McGuire in a Charlottesville-to-Southside district Trump carried by about 12 percentage points in 2024. In the 6th District, journalist and “Dopesick” author Beth Macy is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, having outraised the incumbent despite forecasters rating the Shenandoah Valley-to-Roanoke district safely Republican. Democrats are also defending the 7th District, where first-term U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman faces Republican Douglas Ollivant and four other candidates, with housing costs, federal jobs, and data center development figuring prominently.

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Three constitutional amendments on the ballot

Beyond the candidates, voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution on three fronts. Question 1 would shield decisions related to abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, and pregnancy-related care, as well as patients and providers, while maintaining that third-trimester restrictions remain allowable with health exceptions and changing the requirement from three doctors to one for late-term procedures. Question 2 would remove Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and guarantee the right of two adults to marry regardless of sex, gender, or race. Question 3 would automatically restore voting rights upon release from incarceration following a felony conviction and establish a fundamental right to vote.

Local tax votes fund school projects

Local contests are also on the ballot, including a contentious school board race in Chesterfield. Residents of 47 localities, such as Richmond, Chesterfield County, Norfolk, and Newport News, will determine whether to approve an added sales tax of up to 1% to finance public school construction and major renovations. The tax would not apply to groceries or essential personal hygiene products, and approval would allow, but not require, local governments to impose it.

Polls and Predictions Aim to Keep Virginia Conservatives Home on Election Day

Results will take time to certify

Results on election night will stay unofficial until local officials complete the review of provisional ballots, count eligible late-arriving absentee ballots, and finalize the canvass. State officials will subsequently certify the results, a procedure that state law mandates be completed no later than the first Monday in December, which falls on Dec. 7 this year.

With mail ballots still trickling in and provisional ballots awaiting verification, the full picture of Virginia’s political direction won’t emerge Tuesday night. What is already clear is that this electorate showed up early, in record numbers, and with a clear appetite for having its say.