As Election Day approaches, early voting for the 2025 Virginia elections begins Friday. The ballot features the gubernatorial, lieutenant governor and attorney general races. Specific to the City of Charlottesville ballot are the races for members of City Council and members of the City School Board, among others.
In-person early voting will be available for City of Charlottesville residents at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections, located in downtown Charlottesville. Albemarle County residents can vote early at the 5th Street County Office Building.
Early voting ends Oct. 31, but students can also vote in-person Nov. 4 at their respective polling places. City of Charlottesville residents can find their polling place via the precinct map on the City of Charlottesville website, and Albemarle County residents can find their polling place via the Albemarle County website.
At the top of the ballot is the gubernatorial race between former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R). The winning candidate of this race will be Virginia’s first woman governor.
Spanberger states on her website that as governor, she will strengthen Virginia public schools by ensuring adequate funding and addressing the teacher shortage, as well as make Virginia more affordable by tackling the housing crisis and lowering the cost of healthcare. Spanberger has also said she plans to make reforms to the nomination and confirmation process of appointees at university governing boards across the state.
Earle-Sears has similarly committed to lowering the cost of living by advocating for tax cuts and eliminating "wasteful" government spending, according to her website. She has also stated that as governor she will reduce crime, prioritize quality education for children and support Virginia’s right-to-work laws — laws that protect employees from being forced to join labor unions as a condition of employment.
Both candidates came to the University — Spanberger Tuesday and Earle-Sears in April — to speak to students about their policy platforms.
The U.Va. Center for Politics favors Spanberger to win, citing the historical trend of Virginia electing a governor of the opposite party as the sitting president. With the exception of 2013, the president’s party has lost the Virginia gubernatorial race every election since 1973.
Alongside the gubernatorial race are the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Facing off for lieutenant governor are State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, and Republican and Businessman John Reid. The attorney general race is between incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares and former Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk. A win for the Democrats in either of these races would be a pickup.
The Charlottesville ballot also features the races for members of City Council and the City School Board. The positions of sheriff, the Commonwealth’s attorney, commissioner of revenue and treasurer are all uncontested, although write-ins are still available.
The race for House of Delegates member for the 54th district is also uncontested, with incumbent Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Charlottesville, as the only name on the ballot. However, control of the House of Delegates overall is contested between parties, with Democrats looking to expand their 51-49 majority. Five competitive districts in this election that could swing the majority in favor of either party are Chesterfield, Williamsburg, Chesapeake, Prince William and Hampton.
If eligible, in-state students can register to vote either online or in-person at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections before Oct. 24. Out-of-state students hoping to register or update their registration to Virginia instead of their home state must do so in-person before Oct. 24. The online registration portal is only accessible to those with Virginia state-issued IDs or driver’s licenses. The University will not hold classes on Election Day.
The Office of Voter Registration and Elections is open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the City of Charlottesville Ballot Drop Box is available 24/7 beginning Friday and is located directly outside of the office. Students can request a mail-in ballot on the Virginia Department of Elections website until Oct. 24. Same-day registration is also available at polling places to cast a provisional ballot.
Several political groups on Grounds are available as a resource for students looking to learn more about registering to vote or updating their registration, such as the Center for Politics and Contracted Independent Organizations such as Hoos Vote, University Democrats and College Republicans.
To check voter registration status, students can use an online portal from the Virginia Department of Elections or call the Office of Voter Registration and Elections.
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