Forgot to register? You can still vote in Virginia on Election Day

RICHMOND, Va. — Since 2022, Virginia voters have been allowed to cast ballots on Election Day even if they missed the Oct. 15 registration deadline.

Twenty states and the District of Columbia allow voters to register on Election Day.

Who exactly benefits from same-day registration changes based on each location in the Commonwealth?

Keith Balmer, Richmond City General Registrar, said cities or counties with universities or colleges have seen high usage among young students. This applied to students at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

“For the most part, they are first-time voters, and in many cases they are simply not registered to vote. This is their first experience going through the voting process,” Balmer explains.

In 2022, Balmer said Charlottesville (University of Virginia), Harrisonburg (James Madison University) and Montgomery County (Virginia Tech) also saw some of the highest rates of same-day registrations.

Hanover County, with Randolph-Macon College, located in the city of Ashland, is an outlier, according to General Registrar Teri Smithson.

“We have citizens who have never voted and who are between 60 and 80 years old and are registering to vote. Unfortunately, they missed that time, so they are doing the registrations on the same day,” Smithson described.

Voters shared mixed reactions about the legality of same-day registration.

A supporter of former President Donald Trump, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said voters should take responsibility for missing the Oct. 15 registration deadline. They noted that Virginia offers 45 days of in-person early voting, along with absentee and mail-in ballots.

Caroline Winston supports the idea.

“Many people are not aware until the election gets closer, and they are devastated when they didn’t realize the border,” she said. ‘Just don’t think twice. It’s your right, and whatever motivated you to feel that way at the last minute is fine.”

John Hicks said his views on same-day registration are twofold.

“Anything that gets more people to vote has to happen,” he said. “On the other hand, I would like to know that the people who vote have the legal right to vote.”

Smithson said election officials in Virginia both locally and statewide are intentionally checking and verifying that the person registering on the same day is first a U.S. citizen and eligible to vote in that specific precinct.

Balmer’s office offers a Voter guide for students which lists the residence address and neighborhood information for every dormitory in the city.

The guide will be accessible at all university sites on Election Day so that those who register on the same day can be assured that their vote will be counted.

Polls in Virginia are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m

You can still vote on Election Day if you get in line on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

CBS 6 is committed to sharing the community’s voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.

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