IN PERSON VOTING FAQs
VOTER IDENTIFICATION
Virginia law requires all voters to provide an acceptable form of identification at the polls. The ID no longer must have a photograph. A list of acceptable IDs can be found here. Voters arriving to the polls without a suitable ID will be required to either sign an ID Confirmation Statement or vote a provisional ballot. If voting provisionally, the voter will have until noon on the Friday after the election to deliver a copy of identification to their locality’s electoral board in order for their provisional ballot to be counted. Please see below in Provisional Ballot Voting for more information on how the provisional ballot process will work for those arriving to the polls without ID.
ELECTION DAY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What time do the polls open/close?
A: Polls open at 6:00 am and close at 7:00 pm on Election Day.
Q: What is an acceptable ID at the polling place?
A: Click here for the complete list of acceptable IDs.
Q: What type of voting equipment do we use?
A: Voters in Prince William County mark their votes on a paper ballot and then scan their ballot on a ballot scanner. The ballot scanner records the voting selections of the voter and saves a backup image of the ballot. Accessible voting devices are available to individuals with visual and physical disabilities. Hart Intercivic is the contractor that provides these devices.
PROVISIONAL BALLOT VOTING
Provisional ballots allow voters that have issues with their registration and voting status to mark a ballot that will be reviewed by the Electoral Board after Election Day. As an example, a voter who arrives at the polling place without an acceptable form of identification (and will not sign a statement verifying their identity) will be given the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are not scanned and counted at the polling place, but counted if accepted by the Electoral Board prior to election certification.
A voter will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of the identification to the local electoral board. Voters may submit a copy of their ID via fax, email, in-person submission, or through USPS or commercial delivery service. Please note that the copy of the ID must be delivered to the electoral board by noon on Friday.
The written notice given to the voter at the time they complete their provisional ballot will provide the necessary information, including email, fax, and address of where the ID should be delivered.
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.