What you need to know about Virginia’s 2025 primary elections

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The primaries for Virginia’s 2025 election season will be held on June 17. Here’s a few things you need to know — including a guide on how to vote, some important dates and who you'll be voting for.

On June 17, Virginia voters will take to the ballot box to name who they'd like to represent their party of choice in several races in November. However, early voting has already begun.

8News is your Local Election Headquarters. Keep scrolling to learn more about what to expect this election cycle.

When and how can I vote?

Early voting for the June 17 primaries kicked off on May 2 and will end on June 14. Early ballots can be cast by mail or in person at your local general registrar's office or at designated early voting locations. You can find out where you can early vote here.

For those looking to vote by mail, you can request a mail-in ballot until Thursday, June 6. You can do so via the Virginia Department of Elections' Citizen Portal.

If you are not registered to vote, you must do so by May 27 in order to participate in a primary election. While Virginia law does not require that you be registered as a Democrat or Republican to vote in a party's respective primary, you may only vote in one primary.

You can register to vote, update your voter registration or check its status all by using the Citizen Portal.

If the May 27 deadline passes and you still need to register, do not use the Citizen Portal to do so. You can instead proceed with "same-day registration," which is available from May 28 through June 17.

You can same-day register either in-person at your general registrar's office or any other satellite early voting site, or at your voting precinct on June 17. If you choose to same-day register, you will be issued a provisional ballot. That ballot will only be counted if your eligibility to vote is confirmed.

What am I voting on?

In November, Virginians will be voting for who they want to be their next governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. All 100 seats in the House of Delegates will also be up for election. Finally, several localities will elect new faces to their town councils, boards of supervisors, mayorships and more in special elections. You can find a list of those local special elections here.

As far as the June 17 primaries go, voters will narrow down tickets with more than one prospective candidate and, as a party, choose one nominee.

Voters will notice a few big races missing from their primary ballots, as those races already have their nominees.

For example, the ticket for Virginia's next governor has been finalized, featuring Democratic former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger and Republican current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. This historic ticket means Virginia is very likely to have its first-ever female governor.

The Republican nominees for both the attorney general and lieutenant governor races have also been chosen. Current Attorney General Jason Miyares will run for reelection, while former radio host John Reid will be the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor following Pat Herrity's withdrawal from the race.

By contrast, Virginia Democrats have two candidates to choose from for their attorney general nominee and several for lieutenant governor.

MORE: A look at two major primary elections that will determine Virginia Democrats' ticket for 2025

Most House of Delegates races will not have a June 17 primary, as the majority of these races' tickets have already been decided. You can see a full list of which voting districts will have at least one primary for their House of Delegates pick here.

For more information on both the June primaries and the November elections, visit the Virginia Department of Elections' website.