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Virginia > Title 24.2 Elections > Uniform Military And Overseas Voters Act

§ 24.2-457 Methods of registering to vote

Overview of Statute

This section lists various methods that covered voters may use to apply to register to vote.

Statute

A. To apply to register to vote, in addition to any other approved method, a covered voter may use a federal postcard application.

B. A covered voter may use the declaration accompanying a federal write-in absentee ballot to apply to register to vote simultaneously with the submission of the federal write-in absentee ballot, if the declaration is received by the applicable deadline for registration. If the declaration is received after that date, it must be treated as an application to register to vote for subsequent elections.

C. The electoral board shall ensure that the system described in subsection C of § 24.2-455 is capable of accepting both a federal postcard application and any other approved registration application sent to the appropriate election official. The voter may use the system or any other approved method to register to vote.

2012, c. 353.

Annotation: 03/25/2016 11:20 pm

Administrative regulation 1 VAC 20-45-30 allows electronic submission of the FPCA by fax or scanned attachment to an email.
The Virginia Department of Elections website offers an online FPCA that can be used to register online if the applicant has Virginia DMV identification.

1. Definition for Covered voter

Definition [Covered voter]

a. A uniformed-service voter or an overseas voter who is registered to vote in this state;

b. A uniformed-service voter defined in subdivision 9 a whose voting residence is in this state and who otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements, including subdivision 2 of § 24.2-700;

c. An overseas voter who, before leaving the United States, was last eligible to vote in this state and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements;

d. An overseas voter who, before leaving the United States, would have been last eligible to vote in this state had the voter then been of voting age and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements; or

e. An overseas voter who was born outside the United States, is not described in subdivision c or d, and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements, if:

(1) The last place where a parent or legal guardian of the voter was, or under this chapter would have been, eligible to vote before leaving the United States is within this state; and

(2) The voter has not previously registered to vote in any other state.

See § 24.2-452.

2. Definition for Electoral board

Definition [Electoral board]

A board appointed pursuant to § 24.2-106 to administer elections for a county or city. The electoral board of the county in which a town or the greater part of a town is located shall administer the town’s elections.

See § 24.2-101.

3. Definition for Federal postcard application

Definition [Federal postcard application]

The application prescribed under § 101(b)(2) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. § 20301(b)(2).

See § 24.2-452.

4. Definition for Federal write-in absentee ballot

Definition [Federal write-in absentee ballot]

The ballot described in § 103 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. § 20303, that may be used in all elections in which the voter is eligible to vote as provided in § 24.2-702.1.

See § 24.2-452.

5. Definition for Board

Definition [Board]

The State Board of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

6. Definition for Election

Definition [Election]

A general, primary, or special election.

See § 24.2-101.

Regulations & Guidance

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