HAMPTON, Va. — Virginia NAACP Political Action Chair Gaylene Kanoyton says the state elections department needs to do more to let Virginians know about expanded voting rights ahead of midterm elections on Nov. 8.
"Our opportunities to vote have expanded but it feels like its been limited on information," Kanoyton said.
Early in-person voting is set to begin next Friday, Sept. 23.
But new this year, in time for the congressional midterms, Virginians are able to register and vote on the same day (after the normal registration deadline of October 17).
The ballots cast by late-registered voters will be provisional, meaning elections officials will have to verify the voters' paperwork before the ballot can count.
Local elections officials in Suffolk, Newport News and Chesapeake explained the ballots will count once your registration is approved, but 13News Now could not find that information on any of their elections websites for the general public to review.
Kanoyton said she was bothered by the lack of information, and wants the state to provide clarification because she's seeing different things in different cities.
For instance, the new state law allowing for same-day registration is supposed to begin Oct. 1 but the state is reporting Oct. 18.
"It's not consistent and it feels like confusion, intentional confusion," she said.
State elections officials have yet to respond to 13News Now's request for comment.
Important Elections Dates:
- First day of in-person early voting at your local registrar's office: September 23, 2022.
- Deadline to register to vote, or update an existing registration: October 17, 2022. Registration and voting by provisional ballot continues through election day, November 8.
- Deadline to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you: October 28, 2022.
- Last day of in-person early voting: November 5, 2022.