How to track your absentee mail-in ballot in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - A record number of Virginians have already requested absentee mail-in ballots, more than 815,000 voters, so far. And elections officials will begin mailing out those ballots today, September 18, for anyone who has already requested one.

The Virginia Department of Elections also launched a new absentee mail-in ballot tracker to allow voters to follow their ballots before receiving them, and after they’re sent back to the registrar.

This is the first year that all Virginia mail-in ballots will have a barcode on the envelope, which will allow it to be tracked.

However, you don’t need that exact code in order to follow your ballot’s journey, just your registered voter name and address.

Head to the Virginia Department of Elections home page and click on the ‘casting a ballot’ tab at the top.

Then click on ‘absentee and early voting’ to the left of the next screen, and finally ‘absentee ballot lookup.’

Enter your registered voter name and address.

You should get an update on where your ballot is in the process, including when it’s been received and processed by the registrar.

If for some reason your ballot doesn’t make it, or you think it’s stalled, contact your local registrar to talk to an election official.

You can always cast a provisional ballot in person for safety, which won’t be counted unless it’s confirmed your absentee ballot was somehow lost, and it hasn’t been entered into the voter roll system.

Oct. 23 is the deadline to request a mail-in absentee ballot, or you’ll have to vote in person.

Elections officials are urging everyone opting to mail in their vote, to request the ballot as soon as possible.

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