ROANOKE, Va. – With a record number of absentee mail-in ballots already requested and more expected to come, the Virginia Department of Elections is making it easier to ensure your vote is cast.
New this year is an online tracker that allows voters to follow their ballots every step of the way. From your request to your ballot’s arrival at your local registrar’s office, you’ll be able to follow your ballot’s journey.
This is the first year that all Virginia mail-in ballots will have a barcode on the envelope, which is what allows them to be tracked. However, you don’t need that exact code in order to follow your ballot’s journey, all you need is your registered voter name and address.
Click here to access the ballot tracking tool.
“If you want to vote by mail, it is safe. It is secure. Just do it earlier than perhaps you would normally do. Do not put it off until the last minute," stated Andrew Cochran, Roanoke City Director of Elections & General Registrar.
The deadline to request absentee mail-in ballots is Oct. 23.
Ballots must be postmarked on or by Election Day and received by the registrar’s office by noon on Nov. 6.