Every year is election year in Virginia. Virginia offers multiple examples that prove every vote counts.

This year, each Virginia voter will vote for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and their member of the House of Delegates. Virginia is one of two Governor’s races, and many are watching the Virginia race to as a harbinger of what to expect in 2018.

No matter how you vote, polling shows that the Governor’s race could be very close.

While there are quite a few uncontested races for members of the House of Delegates, several races could also be close, with the outcome likely to depend on turnout.

There is every reason to get out and vote.

Absentee Voting in Person

Voting early if you qualify is a good choice.

There are 19 valid reasons to vote absentee in Virginia, including the possibility that you will be working and commuting to and from home for 11 or more hours between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Election Day. Check the Virginia Department of Elections list to see if you are eligible: elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/index.html

There are two ways to vote absentee: in-person and by mail. To vote by mail, you will need to apply for an absentee ballot; if you vote absentee in-person you will fill out the application when you arrive at the in-person absentee location.

See your locality’s elections website for more.

Bring Photo ID, There Are Alternatives

Virginia has voter identification requirements; plan to bring photo identification with you to vote, whether absentee or on Election Day.

Any registered voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification can apply for a free Virginia Voter Photo Identification from any general registrar’s office in the Commonwealth. Voters applying for the Virginia Voter Photo ID complete the Virginia Voter Photo Identification Card Application, have their picture taken, and sign the digital signature pad.

Among accepted ID: valid Virginia Driver’s License or Identification Card; valid Virginia DMV issued Veteran’s ID card; valid U.S. Passport; other government-issued photo identification cards issued by the U.S. Government, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth; valid college or university student photo identification card from an institution of higher education located in Virginia; valid student ID issued by a public school or private school in Virginia displaying a photo; employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer’s business.

A voter who does not bring an acceptable photo ID to the polls will be offered a provisional ballot.

To find a registration office where you can obtain photo ID, even on the day of an election, visit: vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/PublicContactLookup.

Provisional Ballot Process for Voters Who Arrive Without Identification

If you arrive at your polling place on Election Day without an acceptable form of photo identification, don’t panic or give up. You will be given the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot. After completing the provisional ballot, the individual voting will be given written instructions from the election officials on how to submit a copy of his/her identification so that his/her vote can be counted.

A voter will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the identification to the local electoral board or to appear in person to apply for a Virginia Voter Photo ID Card. Also by noon on Friday following the election, the voter may appear in-person in the office of the general registrar, in the locality in which the provisional ballot was cast, and apply for a Virginia Voter Photo ID Card. At the completion of the application process, the voter may request a Temporary Identification Document. This document may be provided to the electoral board to suffice the identification requirement.

Updated to reflect the correct spelling of Mike Casey (I).