NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia is in the home stretch until voters have an answer for who will represent them at the local, state and federal levels.
For those looking to cast their ballots, there are several things you should keep in mind about what you can and cannot bring with you if you are voting in person on Election Day.
Under state law, voters in Virginia are allowed to bring their cellphones with them in the ballot booth.
This means voters are not only allowed to have them on their person while casting their vote, but can actively research any candidate information while voting. However, election officials can ask you to stop if you are disruptive to the voting process or to others in any way.
Virginia is also one of 29 states that allows voters to wear political gear while voting. This includes shirts, stickers, and pins with a candidate's name or political slogan.
The only exemption to this are political candidates themselves, or any representatives with that campaign.
Voters are also instructed to bring a valid ID with them in order to vote. This can be in multiple forms such as a driver's license, a passport or even a current utility bill.
If a voter does not have a valid form of ID, then election officials may ask you to vote provisionally, which means your vote will not be counted on Election Day. It will not be counted until officials can do further research into your ballot, or until you provide necessary documents (like a valid ID) to election officials by Nov. 8, by noon.
It is also prohibited for anyone to bring a weapon to an active polling place. This includes guns and knives, and those items cannot be within 40 feet of a polling place. The only exceptions are a qualified law-enforcement officer whose employment or performance of his duties occurs within 40 feet of the polling place, or any person occupying his own private property that falls within 40 feet of the polling place.