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General Information
If the voter needs assistance in voting due to blindness, a physical disability or an inability to read or write, assistance in voting may be requested. The assistant may not be the voter's employer or agent of that employer, or an officer or an agent of the voter's union.
Request for Assistance
With the exception of blind voters, it will be necessary for the voter and the assistant to sign or make a mark on a Request for Assistance Form and provide an address. If the voter is unable to sign or make a mark, the Officer of Election will indicate that the voter is unable to sign the Request for Assistance Form. The assistant must agree to vote the ballot as the voter instructs, to make no attempt to influence the voter, and agree not to divulge how the voter voted.
The polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
If you are in the line when the polls close, you may still vote.
View the tentative list of upcoming elections (PDF) within the City of Norfolk.
Please note: Special Elections may be called when there is a vacancy in the office.
Norfolk's 49 polling places are accessible to voters who are disabled and elderly. If a voter is physically unable to enter the polling place, an Officer of Election may take a ballot to the voter's car. The voted ballot is sealed in an envelope and given to the Officer. The sealed envelope is placed in the locked Emergency Ballot Bag until the polls close, and all ballots in the Emergency Ballot Bag are counted in accordance with the Code of Virginia.
The residence address of the voter determines the assigned precinct, polling location, and election district. The voter card, provided to all registered voters, will list the voter's precinct, the address of the polling place, and the election district.
Questions
If you have questions about voting locations, please call 757-664-4353 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m, Monday through Friday.
Check for Restoration of Voting Rights. If you have questions about rights restoration contact the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office at 804-692-0104
Virginia law requires all voters to provide an acceptable form of voter identification when voting in person.
Acceptable Forms of Voter Identification
Effective July 1, 2020, voters may show either voter registration confirmation documents or other forms of identification as indicated below when voting:
- Valid Virginia Driver’s License or Virginia DMV identification card
- Valid United States Passport
- Other identification issued by the Commonwealth, one of its political subdivisions, or the United States
- Valid student photo identification card issued by any institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth or any private or public school located in the Commonwealth
- Valid student identification card issued by any institution of higher education located in any other state or territory of the United States
- Valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer’s business
- Copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter
- To expedite voter check-in on Election Day, we recommend voters bring their Virginia Driver’s License or Virginia DMV identification card. Our electronic Pollpads scan the barcode on the DMV ID to go directly to the voter record. This allows for rapid and accurate check-in of the voter.
No Acceptable Identification
A voter without acceptable photo identification must sign a statement that he/she is the named registered voter he/she claims to be in order to be permitted to cast a ballot. Such statement is signed subject to felony penalties for making false statements, punishable as a Class 5 felony. A voter who does not show one of the required forms of identification and does not complete or sign the statement shall be offered a Provisional Ballot.
Provisional Ballot
A "Provisional Ballot" is a special paper ballot that is offered to any voter whose qualification to vote is in question. This may include, but is not limited to the following:
- A person who does not present acceptable identification when voting.
- A person whose name is not on the poll book at the precinct on Election Day and whose qualification cannot be immediately resolved.
Norfolk Electoral Board
The Norfolk Electoral Board makes a determination on all "Provisional Ballots" at the Canvass of Votes Meeting, which is held at 10 a.m. the day following each election in the Norfolk Circuit Court Building, located at:
150 Street Paul’s Boulevard
Norfolk, VA 23510
Anyone who has voted a "Provisional Ballot" is welcome to attend this meeting.
On September 8, 2017, the Virginia State Board of Elections decertified electronic touchscreen voting equipment across the Commonwealth. The Norfolk Office of Elections utilizes paper ballots with optical scanners at each polling place on Election Day. Each polling place also has an ADA accessible voting machine with audio capability.
- Election Information
- Receive a notice from the Voter Participation Center (VPC) or Center for Voter Information (CVI) indicating you are not registered to vote
- Access to Online Third-Party Voter Registration Training (Revised July 1, 2024)
- Guidelines for Conducting Voter Registration Drives
- Guidelines for Authorized Observers