Apply for a ballot to be mailed to you through 5:00 p.m., Friday, August 29, 2025. Your request must be received by your local registrar's office by 5:00 p.m. Apply for an absentee ballot online using the Citizen Portal.
View your voter information to make sure it is correct.
If you are not registered to vote, apply on the Citizen's Portal.
-- OR --
Be sure your application is accepted!
Submit your completed paper application using one of these methods:
Who may vote absentee by mail?
Anyone registered to vote in Fairfax County may vote absentee by mail. No excuse or reason is needed. Once you have verified your registration status, you may apply online or complete a paper Virginia Vote by Mail Application form and email or mail it to our office. AbsenteeBallot@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Likewise, anyone registered to vote in Fairfax County may vote early in person. No application, excuse, or reason is needed. If you plan to vote early in person, please do not apply to vote an absentee ballot by mail.
Must I request an absentee ballot for each election?
Not necessarily. When you complete your absentee ballot application, you are asked: “Do you want to vote by mail for all future elections?” If you check “Yes,” you will receive a ballot for every election in which you are qualified to vote. If you check “No,” you must submit a new application before every election.
I have power of attorney for a voter. May I request an absentee ballot and sign voting documents on behalf of the voter?
No. Va Code §24.2-123 prohibits a voter’s power of attorney from signing a voter registration or absentee ballot application, signing for the voter on the Statement of Absentee Voter, or voting in person on behalf of the voter.
If the voter needs assistance completing their ballot, a Request for Assistance form must be completed and returned with the ballot. If you didn’t receive the form with your ballot, you may download it here
What is the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot?
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on the Friday eleven days before the election. See the exact deadline for the upcoming election here.
When will I receive my ballot? How do I know if and when my marked ballot is received in your office?
The first ballots are mailed 45 days before the election to voters who have applied to vote by mail. Allow 7-9 business days for your ballot to arrive. After the first mail-out, ballots are mailed within three business days of an application being received and approved.
You may check the status of your application and your ballot in the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.
You may track your ballot through the USPS mail system by using BallotTrax.
May I have my ballot sent to a different address within Fairfax County?
No, unless it is being sent to a hospital, rehab facility, or detention center where you live temporarily. Otherwise, if the ballot mailing address is not your voter registration address, it must be an address outside Fairfax County. Your ballot may be mailed to your school address only if it is located outside Fairfax County.
Must I provide my full Social Security number on my absentee ballot application?
Virginia Code §24.2-701 requires you to provide the last four digits of your SSN unless you are completing the application in person in the Office of Elections. This helps ensure we locate your voter record. You are unique, but your name may not be.
Do I need to provide a copy of my ID?
Normally, no. If you need to provide a copy of your ID (as required by federal law for some first time voters), you will find a notice in the envelope with your voting materials explaining this. To read about this law regarding special federal ID requirements for certain first time absentee voters, click here.
I live overseas. May I still vote?
Yes! Click here for information.
What do I do if I do not receive my ballot?
Allow 7 business days for your ballot to arrive after it was mailed. If you do not receive it within this timeframe, contact us: at 703-324-4969 (TTY 711) or AbsenteeVoting@fairfaxcounty.gov. Type “reissue” in the subject line of your email to us and confirm your voter registration address in your message.
Alternately, you may vote early in person after signing a form affirming that you did not receive your ballot. On election day you may vote a provisional ballot at your precinct polling location.
How may I remove my name from the permanent absentee application list?
If you want to be removed from the permanent absentee application list so that you no longer receive an absentee ballot in the mail automatically, you must notify us in writing. Complete this form and mail or email to us.
Otherwise, permanent absentee application voters may only be removed from the list when their voter registration is canceled, their voter registration is placed on inactive status, or if they move to a different address not in the same county (or city) in which they are registered. Virginia Code § 24.2-703.1.
I'm a permanent absentee voter. Why didn't I receive a ballot for the primary election?
You most likely did not check the box on your absentee ballot application to indicate you wished to vote in primary elections, and then select which party’s ballot you would like to receive. If you want to receive a primary ballot, you must indicate a political party preference. For questions, email or call the absentee voting division.
If you would like to change your decision and receive a ballot for the current and all future primary elections, print the Virginia Permanent Absentee Voter Change form and submit by email to AbsenteeBallot@fairfaxcounty.gov.
I plan to have my absentee ballot forwarded to me while I am on vacation. Is that a good idea?
No! The Post Office is prohibited by law from forwarding ballots and other election mail. Your ballot will be returned to our office.
If you will not be at home to receive your ballot, you may provide an alternate mailing address for one election. If you are on the permanent absentee list, you may submit the Permanent Absentee Voter Single Election Change form · En Español · Tiếng Việt · 한 국어
* Watch a video tutorial on how to complete your AB (ballot return) envelope
Important! To be accepted, your ballot must be sealed inside the return mailer, and you must write your full name, voter registration address, signature, year of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number in the fields provided.
By mail or commercial delivery service
By ballot drop-off box
In person
How do I know when my ballot has been mailed? How do I know if and when my marked ballot is received in your office?
After your absentee ballot application is approved and after ballots have been printed (45 days before the election), your ballot is mailed within three business days.
When your ballot is issued and when the Office of Elections receives your marked ballot are indicated on your record in the statewide voter database. To view this, visit your voter registration page on the Virginia Citizen Portal.
Additionally, you may track your ballot through BallotTrax.
What do I do if I do not receive my ballot? Allow 7 business days for your ballot to arrive after it was mailed. If you do not receive it within this timeframe, contact us at 703-324-4969 (TTY 711) or AbsenteeVoting@fairfaxcounty.gov. Type “reissue” in the subject line of your email to us and confirm your voter registration address in your message.
Alternately, you may vote early in person after signing a form affirming that you did not receive your ballot. On election day you may vote a provisional ballot at your precinct polling location.
If you have mailed your ballot and are concerned it will not arrive before noon on the Friday following election day, you may go to an early voting location or, on election day, to the precinct where you are registered and vote a provisional ballot. If your absentee ballot arrives by noon on the Friday after election day, your provisional ballot will be voided.
The exception to this rule is when Veteran’s Day holiday falls on the Friday immediately following a general election. In this case, absentee ballots are due by noon on the following Monday.
Is it OK to return two ballots inside one return mailer?
Only one voter and one marked ballot per return mailer! If two ballots arrive in one return mailer, both must be voided.
Can someone deposit a ballot in a drop box for a spouse, family member, or friend?
Voters are permitted to place more than one voted absentee ballot in a drop box.
May I vote in person instead?
Yes. If you received your ballot, be sure to take it with you to the polling location. If you don’t bring your absentee ballot with you, you will be offered a provisional ballot. If you do not also return your absentee mail ballot, then staff will recommend to the Electoral Board that your provisional ballot be counted.
What happens to my return envelope with my name, SSN4, and birth year on it once you remove the ballot?
The empty absentee ballot envelopes are immediately placed in boxes that are sealed, labeled, and stored in a secure location until election night. At that time they are taken by courthouse staff to the Fairfax County Courthouse, along with the county’s voted ballots. Virginia Code §24.2-668 and §24.2-669. Ballot envelopes that arrive after election day are stored securely until they are transferred to the courthouse the following week.
If you are active duty uniformed-service (and qualifying spouse or dependents) or overseas citizens eligible to vote in state and local elections, you may register to vote and submit an absentee ballot application electronically for a specific election or any elections up through the next year using the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal.
Active duty uniformed-service (and qualifying spouse or dependents) and overseas citizens are also permitted to receive the ballot via email upon request. For more information, view Guidelines for Voters that Request E-mail Ballots (.pdf) or contact Fairfax County Office of Elections.
Learn more about casting an military/ overseas ballot in the Commonwealth of Virginia from the Virginia Department of Elections or contact the Fairfax County Office of Elections absentee voting division.
If you have a Virginia DMV issued ID, submit an online application to Apply to Vote Absentee by Mail
OR
If you do not have a Virginia DMV issued ID, submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
To receive your ballot as quickly as possible, check the box to receive your ballot by email. If you select to receive your ballot by mail, consider that the ballot could take weeks to arrive.
When are ballots mailed and/or emailed to voters living outside the U.S.?
If you submitted your absentee ballot application earlier than seven weeks before the election, your ballot will be mailed or emailed soon after ballots are printed, about 45 days before election day.
If you submitted your absentee ballot application within 45 days of the election, your ballot will be mailed or emailed within three business days of your application being approved.
How do I know when my ballot is mailed or emailed? How do I know if and when my marked ballot is received in your office?
The dates your ballot is issued and received by the Office of Elections are marked on your record in the statewide voter database. To view this, visit your voter registration page on the Virginia Citizen Portal.
Overseas voters should not try to track their ballots through the ballot tracking function on the Fairfax County Office of Elections or the Virginia state website. Ballots mailed or returned from international or DPO/APO/FPO addresses cannot be tracked by the USPS.
My ballot has not arrived. What should I do?
If you selected to have your ballot mailed to you, then the ballot is likely still in the postal system. Overseas mail delivery time is very slow. Once a ballot enters the mail system, we have no control over delivery. You might consider changing the ballot delivery method to “email” by submitting a new application/FPCA. We can reissue your ballot by mail, however, keep in mind that it will face the same delivery delays, and the time for getting the ballot back to us will be shortened.
Check your junk email folder if you opted to have your ballot emailed to you. If you did not receive it, email us: AbsenteeVoting@fairfaxcounty.gov.
You may submit a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). This is a backup ballot for overseas voters. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for Virginia. If we receive a state ballot from you, your FWAB will be voided.
May I submit a Federal Write-in Ballot (FWAB) without applying for an absentee ballot?
Yes.
My spouse and I both requested absentee ballots by email. One email arrived but the other did not. Can we just print two copies of the emailed ballot materials so both of us can vote?
You may do this only if your spouse was issued an absentee ballot to be delivered by email. If one of you requested your ballot delivered by mail, or if one person’s application wasn’t approved, then the ballot from that person will not be counted.
When two voters provide the same email address on their applications, only one email will be sent, so it will seem that only one person received a ballot. In which case, print two copies of the ballot and voting material.
May I just print copies of the emailed ballot and materials for my friends and family members, so they don’t have to bother to apply for an absentee ballot?
No. Marked ballots returned by people who did not request an absentee ballot are voided upon arrival.
I selected to have my ballot mailed to me. Can you email it to me instead?
You must submit a new, revised FPCA (Federal Postcard Application) to change the ballot delivery method. Print, sign, scan and email your new FPCA form to: AbsenteeBallot@fairfaxcounty.gov.
My email address has changed since I submitted my FPCA (Federal Postcard Application). Can you email my absentee ballot to another address?
We can only send a ballot to the address you specify on your application, so you must submit a new, revised FPCA to change the email address. Print, sign, and scan your new FPCA form then email to AbsenteeBallot@fairfaxcounty.gov.
I am concerned your office will not receive my marked ballot before the deadline. What can I do?
Return your ballot by commercial delivery service, such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS. Allow plenty of time for it to reach us. It needs to be “postmarked” before 7 pm Virginia time on election day and arrive in our office by noon on the Friday following the election.
You may submit a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). This is a backup ballot for overseas voters. This ballot allows you to cast your vote for candidates in federal, state, and local elections, including ballot measures. Read and follow the instructions for Virginia. The ballot still must reach us by the Friday noon deadline.
May I just email my marked ballot to you? Can I vote online?
May I return my ballot by FedEx, DHL, or UPS?
Yes! And we encourage overseas voters to consider using such delivery services. Because international mail can be unbelievably slow and unreliable, a commercial delivery service is your best bet.
I’m going to be visiting the States around the time of the election. May I vote in person instead?
Yes. You will need to vote a provisional ballot. If an absentee ballot is not received from you by noon the Friday after the election, then staff will recommend to the Electoral Board that your ballot be counted.
BallotTrax is designed to track mail ballots through the postal stream and proactively push ballot status notifications to voters. BallotTrax can notify voters when their ballot has been printed and mailed, returned to the U.S. Mail, received by the election office and accepted for counting by the election office.
If you damage, mark incorrectly (spoil), or lose your absentee ballot, or if you never received your ballot in the mail, you have several options:
Per Virginia law § 24.2-1004. Illegal voting and registrations section B:
Any person who intentionally (i) votes more than once in the same election, whether those votes are cast in Virginia or in Virginia and any other state or territory of the United States, (ii) procures, assists, or induces another to vote more than once in the same election, whether those votes are cast in Virginia or in Virginia and any other state or territory of the United States, (iii) votes knowing that he is not qualified to vote where and when the vote is to be given, or (iv) procures, assists, or induces another to vote knowing that such person is not qualified to vote where and when the vote is to be given is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
You may download a form here. Or you may call us at 703-324-4969 (TTY 711) or email us at AbsenteeVoting@FairfaxCounty.gov. We can email or mail you another form.
Vote and return only one ballot. You may simply tear up and dispose of the other ballot. Per Virginia Code § 24.2-1004, you may only cast one ballot.
Because we indicate in the Virginia statewide voter database the issuance and receipt of every absentee ballot, as well as when a ballot cast was cast in person, it is not possible for us to accept and count more than one ballot from a voter.
It is a Class 6 felony for voters to cast two ballots for the same election. Virginia Code § 24.2-1004 . (There is an exception for overseas and military voters, who may submit a special federal ballot in addition to their state ballot.)
Sorry, no, we cannot change the information on your application. Ballots must be sent to the exact address that you provide. You must submit another absentee ballot application or a change form to change the address. To submit another application online, click here. To download a Virginia Permanent Absentee Ballot Change Application, click here.
Are absentee ballots always counted?
Yes! If the Statement of Absentee Voter is fully completed on the return mailer and the return mailer arrives by the deadline, the absentee ballot is counted. The deadline for receiving the ballot depends on the method used to return it. See 3. Complete and Return Your Ballot above for details.
How do I ensure my absentee ballot will be counted?
When do you start counting absentee ballots?
Depending on the number of ballots received, we begin counting absentee ballots at least a week before election day. In this pre-processing operation, envelopes with the Statement of Absentee Voter properly completed are opened, and the ballots are removed for tallying.
Ballots are read and tallied by a digital scan voting machine. Ballots that cannot be scanned are securely stored to be hand-counted. Counted ballots are sealed with tamper-evident tape in labeled boxes and stored securely for transfer to the Fairfax County courthouse.
May I request an absentee ballot if I am attending school outside Fairfax County?
Yes! However, you may only have your ballot mailed to your school address if your school is located outside of Fairfax County. Alternately, you may have it mailed to your home address, where you are registered to vote.
Important! The Statement of Absentee Voter form on the back of the ballot return envelope must be completed with your voter registration address -- this is where you are registered to vote in Fairfax County, not your school address.
Can I just email my marked ballot to you? Can I vote online?
Can my parents request an absentee ballot for me while I attend school?
No, only the voter may request—and only the voter may vote — their absentee ballot. Signing an absentee ballot application as another voter is a Class 4 felony, as is signing the Statement of Voter or marking a ballot for a voter who doesn’t require assistance due to a disability.
Single Election Change
Use the Permanent Absentee Voter Single Election Change Form to:
Download: Virginia Permanent Absentee Ballot Change Application (English) (En Español) (Tiếng Việt) (한 국어)
Remove your name from Permanent Absentee Voter List
Use the Request to Remove Name from Permanent Absentee Voter List Form to remove your name from the Permanent Absentee Voter List
Download: Request to Remove Name from Permanent Absentee Voter List
Submit: Use one of these methods:
Deadline: Applications must be received in the Office of Elections 11 days before the election
English | En Español | Tiếng Việt | 한 국어
Federal Post Card Application FPCA (for military and overseas citizens)