• Be a citizen of the United States
• Be a resident of Virginia
• Not be registered and plan to vote in another state
• Not currently declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
• Have had your right to vote restored if ever convicted of a felony
• Be at least 18 years on or before a November general election

To pre-register to vote when you turn 18: 

• At least 16 years old but not 18 on or before the next general election.

To apply online use the Virginia Department of Elections' Citizen Portal

To apply by mail, download a voter registration application, visit our office, or pick up a form at a library, a county supervisor's office, or county governmental center. 

See the Virginia Department of Elections website for more information.

Did you know that when you register to vote in Virginia, you DO NOT register to vote by party? Virginia is an Open Primary state which means that any registered voter in Virginia can vote in either a Democratic or Republican primary. When both parties are holding a primary election, you will be asked which primary you want to vote in when you check-in. Note, you may only vote in one primary per State law (Code of Virginia, § 24.2-530).

To remain a qualified registered voter, you must notify your local voter registration office of any change in your name or address. This must be done before the deadline to register to vote for the change to be reflected on the pollbook at your polling place on election day.

To update your name or address:

• Online: Department of Elections Citizen Portal
• Write us:  Notify us of the change and include your signature. Scan and email your note to voting@fairfaxcounty.gov or mail it to the Fairfax County Office of Elections.
• In person: Visit the Fairfax County Office of Elections

After your change is processed, you will be mailed a new voter information postcard. If a new postcard does not arrive within a few weeks, please call us at 703-222-0776 to confirm that your notice was received.

You or your organization may conduct a voter registration drive at public locations within the community. Individuals or organizations requesting twenty-five (25) or more voter registration applications must complete Virginia Department of Elections certification training and sign the affidavit and application request. We will be happy to advise you in planning a successful drive and training volunteers and answer any questions you might have. We will provide voter registration and absentee ballot applications in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean languages. For more information call our office at 703-222-0776.