[Archived] Absentee Voting Opens for Eligible Alexandria Voters on January 15

Absentee voting for Virginia’s March 1 Democratic and Republican Presidential Primary begins on Friday, January 15. Many Alexandria voters are eligible to vote absentee, for example, if they are:

Away for personal business, work, vacation, active military service or at school.
Working and commuting for 11 or more hours between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Election Day. Take into account those days when traffic is heavy or the weather is bad and it takes longer than usual to get to and from work.
Physically unable to go to the polls because of an illness or disability.
A caregiver for a confined family member.
A “first responder” (firefighter, law enforcement, emergency medical technician, search and rescue).

To learn more about these, and other circumstances in which absentee voting is available, visit alexandriava.gov/Elections and click on “Absentee Voting,” or call 703.746.4050.

Absentee Voting in Person

The deadline for voting absentee in person is Saturday, February 27, at 5 p.m. In-person absentee voting hours and location is as follows:

Office of Voter Registrations and Elections, 132 N. Royal Street, Suite 100
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Monday January 18 and February 15)
Saturdays, February 20 and 27, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Extended evening hours:

Wednesday, February 17 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Thursday, February 18 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Monday, February 22 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Tuesday, February 23 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Absentee Voting By Mail

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot by mail is Tuesday, February 23. Applications must be received in the Voter Registration Office by 5 p.m. on this day. Absentee ballot applications are available at alexandriava.gov/Elections, or by contacting the Alexandria Voter Registration Office at 703.746.4050. Applications may also be submitted online through the Citizen Portal at http://elections.virginia.gov.

These absentee ballots must be received by the Voter Registration Office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, March 1. Ballots may be returned by mail or delivered personally by the voter.

ID Requirements for Absentee Voting

Virginia's photo ID requirements apply to absentee voters who cast their absentee ballot in person. They do not apply to absentee voters who request an absentee ballot by mail.

Acceptable forms of photo identification include:

· Valid Virginia Driver’s License or DMV-issued Photo Identification Card

· Valid United States Passport or Passport Card

· Valid Military ID

· Other government-issued photo identification card (from the U.S. Government, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a local government within Virginia)

· Valid student photo identification card from an institution of higher education located in Virginia

· Valid employee photo identification card

Voters who do not have acceptable ID may apply for an ID (and receive a temporary ID) at the same time they come to cast their in-person absentee ballot.

Additional Information

All persons qualified to vote may request a ballot for either Primary, however, they may not vote in both Primaries (Virginia Code 24.2-530). For this election, voters who wish to participate in the Republican Party Primary must sign a statement before voting. For complete information on this election, including voter registration requirements, sample ballots, precinct maps and photo ID requirements, visit alexandriava.gov/Elections.

The voter registration deadline for this election is February 8. You may submit or update your registration information online through the Citizen Portal at http://elections.virginia.gov. Any eligible citizen who will be 18 years old by November 8, 2016 is eligible to register and vote in this Primary.

For more information, contact Anna Leider, General Registrar, Office of Voter Registration at anna.leider@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4050.

This news release is available at: www.alexandriava.gov/89277