RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Elections announced Tuesday that primary elections for all offices appearing on the 2026 November General Election ballot will be held on Aug. 4, 2026. There will be no primary elections held on June 16, 2026.
The Virginia Department of Elections issued the following in a release:
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The 2026 Primary Election date was changed by the General Assembly in House Bill 29, which was signed into law on February 20. Under this new law, the primary date change is only for the 2026 election year. The primary date change is not contingent on the passage of the scheduled April 21, 2026 referendum, nor whether the referendum is held.
Absentee Voting Early In-Person and By Mail
Early in-person voting for the August Primary begins June 19. General registrar offices closed in observance of the statewide Juneteenth holiday will begin early in-person voting on June 18.
Requested absentee ballots will be mailed no later than June 19, including ballots to registered military and overseas voters.
Any registered voter can request an absentee ballot in person, by mail, online (Citizen Portal), or by contacting their general registrar’s office. Registered voters do not need to provide a reason to request an absentee ballot. The deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot is July 24.
Absentee ballots can be dropped off at the general registrar’s office or a designated drop-box location during the early voting period, or at polling locations on Election Day. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than August 4 and received by the general registrar by noon on August 7.
Voter Registration Deadlines
The deadline to register to vote and cast a regular ballot is July 24. Starting July 25, voters can register and vote via a provisional ballot using same-day registration. Same-day registration must take place in person either at an early voting location for the jurisdiction in which the voter intends to register or at their designated polling location on Election Day based upon their residence.
Voters with questions about absentee voting early in-person or by mail can call their general registrar’s office or the Department of Elections at 1-800-552-9745 or email info@elections.virginia.gov.
Candidate Filing Deadlines
Candidate filing deadlines for U.S. House of Representative candidates have moved to May 26 (deadline extended due to holiday) for party candidates and August 4 for independent candidates. Filing deadlines for all other offices will remain April 2 for party candidates and June 16 for independents.
A full list of candidates in all 2026 races can be found online.Virginia Dept. of Elections: Candidates & Referendums
Important dates for the August 4 Primary Election:
June 19 – Early voting begins (general registrar offices closed for Juneteenth will begin early voting June 18)
July 24 – Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail or online.
July 24 – Deadline to register to vote and cast a regular ballot.
July 25 – Same-day registration begins. Same-day registrants must cast a provisional ballot.
August 1 – Last day of early voting.
August 4 – ELECTION DAY
August 7 – All mailed ballots must be received by the general registrar’s office by noon.
Virginia Department of Elections