Are You A First-Time Voter?
Did you know there are special identification requirements for voters the first time they vote in a federal election?
Some forms of ID that are acceptable for Virginia's new ID requirements may not meet the federal requirements. Know what you need before you go to the polls!
Examples of acceptable ID for first time federal voters in Virginia include:
- Your Virginia voter registration card
- Driver's license or other government-issued photo ID (must be valid and name and address must be current)
- Virginia student ID (with your photo or with your current name and address)
- A bank statement, utility bill, paycheck stub, or government check with your current name and address
- Other ID that meets both federal and Virginia requirements (find out which ones by clicking here)
- A combination of an ID that meets federal requirements and one that meets Virginia requirements
If you need to know if you are a first time voter, please click here to search your registration status on the Virginia State Board of Elections website. Virginia Organizing recommends that everyone check their voter registration status before the October 15 registration deadline to ensure you are an active, registered voter. If your address or name is incorrect, or there are other errors in your registration, you must contact your registrar before the October 15 deadline.
If you are a first time voter, you CANNOT use your Social Security card, Medicare card, Medicaid card, or Birth Certificate to satisfy the federal ID requirements! You must bring another form of ID to the polls.
For your convenience, Virginia Organizing has posted information on our website for students, seniors and first time voters. We have also summarized some changes to the law. You can find all this information by clicking here. Please pass along to your friends and family members who may be first time voters.
Since all active registered voters received a voter registration card in the mail, it is best to use your voter registration card as your ID. The voter registration card meets both the federal and state ID requirements. If you do not have your voter ID card, there are other forms of ID that will work such as a bank statement, utility bill, paycheck, or government check as long as it lists your current name and address. You can also use your driver's license, passport, or other state-issued ID. Please click here for a complete list of identifications that meet the Virginia voter ID requirements and the federal (HAVA) ID requirements for first time voters.
Remember: if you need help on Election Day, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
Virginia Organizing is a statewide grassroots organization that "brings people together to create a more just Virginia." For more information, click here.
John Farrell
5:59 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Less than 2% of all Virginia voters are "HAVA" voters.
Any first time voter who registered at the Fairfax Electoral Office or at one of the Electoral Office's outreach events are NOT HAVA voters, even if its the first time voting in a Federal election.
If there's an H next to your name on the SBE records or poll book, you can always go to the Election Office, Room 323 of the Fairfax Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway. Show them your Virginia Voter registration card and the H will be removed from your name in the poll book.
While you're there, why not vote absentee in-person.
There are 19 different reasons that will let you vote early.
Do you work outside of Fairfax? Check Box 1C
Does your commute and work day total 11 hours of more, even if you never leave Fairfax? Check Box 1E
Are you away at school? Check Box 1A
Those who are disabled, first responders, election officers, poll watchers, those caring for the sick, pregnant moms, active duty military who are outside of Fairfax, all can vote absentee in-person.
The Government Center absentee in-person voting is open 8-4:40 and until 7 on Thursday and on Saturdays from 9-5 starting this Saturday and every Saturday through November 3.
Satellite voting will begin October 17 from 2-8 pm and Saturdays 9-5.
Almost everyone in Fairfax qualifies to vote early.
Avoid the long lines on 11/6.
Vote early.
Kathy Keith
6:39 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
All citizens should be able to vote. I support that. However, I clicked on the link above to "Virginia Organizing" and found some of the "beliefs" to be disturbing. Sounds like they want to seriously redistribute wealth and spread it around. Scary.
Carol Lewis
6:44 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
How is helping those less fortunate scary? How can you, Kathy, support a man who has such disregard and disdain for nearly half the country, a man who changes his beliefs to suit his audience, a man who manipulates his taxes so he appears to being paying more than he owes, even though he said he would never pay one more cent than what he owed?! I find Romney and Ryan to be very scary in their proposals to cut education and other things, all for the sake of lowering taxes on those who don't need the break. And say what you will, they will destroy medicare.
Jody
12:09 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I agree, their website is scary. Socialists don't want to help those less fortunate; they want to equalize everyone no matter what it costs.
the-stix
4:53 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
@Carol Lewis.. the "man" gave more to charity as a percent of income, and paid more tax than he was could have qualified for had he claimed it all. I thought more tax and more charitable giving was a plus to the left.
Better than the prez that gave less to charity as a percent of income, and claimed it all to pay the least tax he could.
Kathy Keith
6:52 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Carol, Did you read their beliefs? They want the government to take over EVERYTHING. That is scary. They want to control the financial sector, the education, the health, the work, etc. etc. They even want to set quotas on elected officials.
I also suggest you do some serious research on the money going into education. It should be put back at the local and state levels. Since the formation of the Education Dept. our test scores have gone down--especially among minorities. Money in education goes to bureaucrats--not students and teachers. Do some research on this. It is stunning. Talk to classroom teachers-they will tell you that too much money is at the top--and that is where the federal grants end up.
John Verba
7:52 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Kathy... I would be very surprised if Carol would support a redistribution of wealth that took funding from schools in her area and redistributed it to the inner city, so that some kids might have to do without two musicals a year but others didn't have to share one trumpet among several of them. Likewise, if anything like the Simpson Bowles recommendations were ever enacted, I doubt she would be happy to accept the level of services we can really afford nor the taxes necessary to maintain them. So we debate socialism versus whatever and Romney versus Obama rather than asking how much of the wealth in Ashburn, etc. is borrowed and whether the stimulus spending was just desperate borrowing that prolonged the illusion. In the end, we may find we're all more in the same boat than we realize, and yet all equally intent on postponing the effects of reality on ourselves for as long as possible. If we ever have to rebuild from the basic nut/core of actions that deliver essential value, we'll find not much worth at all in such divisive debating. Debate and divisiveness are kind of luxury pursuits and interests, in the grand scheme of things.
Carol Lewis
9:03 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
I did read their beliefs and I am missing what you are saying. You are right that I need to do more research on education but I don't think that gutting it is the right path either. You didn't answer my questions about Romney.
Carol Lewis
9:08 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
John I must admit that I'm not sure what you are talking about. If asking the rich to pay more in taxes is redistribution of wealth, than I am for it. I'm just tired of hearing the rich whine about how put upon they are and how if only we cut their taxes to nothing, they'll create jobs. If cutting their taxes is all it takes to create jobs we should be awash in them given what GW did. I'm one of Romney's 47% but I take care of my life and my family, paid my dues to social security and medicare, pay my taxes and consider it a patriotic thing to do. I think his attitude toward those of us who aren't rich is disgusting. I'm not trying to be divisive. Kathy has been on Patch a lot and she has given me things to think about but I can't for the life of me understand why she supports Romney. Just askin'.....!
Carol Lewis
9:10 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
And we've all strayed from the intent of the article, which is to point out new laws for voter registration. The article is good education for those who don't know about these laws. Republican controlled states are making it harder for some folks to vote, although the laws in Va aren't as bad as other states.
Carol Lewis
8:49 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Kathy, re my comment to John, I don't consider you among the rich whiners. Your posts on Patch have been reasonable and you clearly do lots of research. We just have a fundamental disagreement, I think, about the role of government and about the qualities of the two candidates.
William Campenni
10:55 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Is this supposed to be a news article or is the Patch now a fundraising operation for these far-left political groups?
Carol Lewis
11:25 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Oh please, it's an article on new voter registration laws.
Rachel Hatzipanagos
11:37 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
To clarify, no this isn't a news article. It's a blog post, which is an opinion piece. Any reader is welcome to start their own blog on Patch. http://clarendon.patch.com/blog/apply
William Campenni
12:18 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Sorry, no excuse. You need to label these things clearly.
As it is, you veiled a partisan fund-raising solicitation as a news article.
Why do you think newspapers (except the Washington Post and New York Times) clearly label quasi-news articles as "ADVERTISEMENT"?
Rachel Hatzipanagos
12:21 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
This isn't an advertisement.
Jody
12:39 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Yes, It gives such detailed voter information (hopefully it's all correct) that a reader may believe it's from some official elections source.
William Campenni
12:44 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Rachel, you are showing your biases.
Are you auditioning for a job at the Washington Post?
Carol Lewis
12:47 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
If you go to the top of the post it is listed under Local Voices, with the author's name and if you click on that you'll see that she's a blogger. There is nothing in the article that asks for money. The link is for more information on Virginia Organizing, which you do not have to click on.
Jody
11:52 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The information seems useful and neutral. However, the phone number given at the bottom should be identified so that there is no misunderstanding. This help number connects you to Va. Organizing- not to an official government elections help line.
Jim Daniels
2:18 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I see the word "socialism" bandied a lot here in relation to Virginia Organizing...can someone provide the definition they are using?
Jody
4:13 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
When you hear the words "injustice" and "fairness" you can be pretty sure they're socialists who tend to see greedy rich folks oppressing noble poor folks and want everyone to be artificially "equalized." Their website says that each person is entitled to a living wage, housing, good food, child care, health care & a secure retirement. Should these all be entitlements guaranteed by the government? Socialist countries provide this through massive taxation. The Americans tend to expect people to work toward their own self-sufficiency although we have all kinds of programs to help poor people and we give more in charity than any other country. It's easier in these hard times of recession to be drawn in the socialist direction, but I want less government, less government spending, less taxes, and more money in all our pockets.
Illegal aliens are here in such high numbers that they are depressing wages and hugely increasing the cost of education, welfare, health care, social services, housing etc. Virginia Organizing believes they are entitled o the same high standard of living that they feel everyone is entitled to. Should they get that "social justice" or the legal justice of being deported because they're here illegally? It all depends on how you see things. Obama has a socialist agenda and will spend us into the ground. Romney just wants to get our economy going again.
Keith Best
2:34 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Why do people think Obama is doing a good job? Unemployment over 8% for 43 months with more people out of work now then when he took office. Median family income is down $4,000.
Why would a FIRST-TERM senator who spent most of that first term running for another office know how to run anything, especially the world's largest economy.
Mitt Romney ran a company, he ran something as large as the Olympics, he ran a state. Obama ran NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jim Daniels
3:37 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
More jobs have been created under Obama than lost
http://www.bls.gov/ces/cesprelbmk.htm
Of course the argument that Obama has made the employment rate worse rests on the notion that somehow by magically being sworn in he was expected to cure it. In fact, the unemployment rate has dropped 2 full percentage points since October of 2009, about the time the stimulus took affect. And Obama has created more jobs in one term, than his predecessor did... the man who drove the country into the ditch in the first place, and whose policies Mr. Romney wants us to return too.
joe brewer
2:49 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
1) Only in America could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000 a plate campaign fund-raising event.
2) Only in America could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a black Attorney General, and roughly 18% of the federal workforce is black while only 12% of the population is black.
3) Only in America could they have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner, the head of the Treasury Department and Charles Rangel who once ran the Ways and Means Committee, BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.
4) Only in America can they have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.
5) Only in America would they make people who want to legally become American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege while we discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just 'magically' become American citizens.
joe brewer
2:50 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Carol see number 10
6) Only in America could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as "extremists."
7) Only in America could you need to present a driver's license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.
8) Only in America could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).
9) Only in America could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a trillion dollars more than it has per year for total spending of $7 million PER MINUTE, and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.
10) Only in America could the rich people who pay 86% of all income taxes be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any income taxes at all.
Lance Johnson
3:23 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I'm seriously concerned that any one would actually think that by requiring a person to produce an actual photo ID is somehow discrimination. I mean seriously. As adults we are required to carry some sort of Photo ID for almost everything we do. Drive, write a check, use a Credit Card, hell my kids are required to carry a photo id to play travel sports and they are not even old enough to drive. We had to go to the local DMV to get one. Think about it, if you are stopped by law enforcement either driving or doing something illegal on foot, what's the first thing they ask for? Photo ID. The ONLY reason I can see why you would not want to have to produce a Photo ID is because legally you shouldn't be allowed to vote and the reasons for that are far too many to list in this forum. Using Class-Warfare and stating that somehow the poor or elderly would be discriminated against and then actually linking it to their constitutional right to vote, is shameful. Voting is not your right, it's your responsible duty as an adult and therefore you should do what you need to do to produce one. I am actually PROUD to live in a state that requires it. Not to say people don't get away with voter fraud in VA, but at least they have to get creative and actually break the law to do it. For some people to NOT have to produce a PhotoID leads honest law biding citizens like myself, to feel like their votes don't actually count and that there my friends, is the real Voter Discrimination.
Nate McKenzie
4:20 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
If you care about this as a real issue rather than a campaign tactic, do some basic research. In the meantime, we won't pretend this is a serious concern.
Lance Johnson
3:45 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The problem here isn't that we do not collect enough taxes, it's that we spend more than we take in. So for those who think that by raising taxes on anyone regardless of their status is the answer, they are totally off base with reality. It's not that the rich can't afford to pay more taxes or that they should...it's about setting up a fair tax rate that doesn't penalize anyone too much. Blaming everything on the rich is an old tactic, just like "Trickle Down Economics" is a catch phrase that seems to polarize the Left. The fact is that Trickle Down Economics is actually called "Supply Side Economics". Every President in History that has had a successful economic policy has used it. Yes, that included JFK and Clinton. Over the past 50 years the only sitting President's that did not use Supply-Side Economics was Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, and Obama. The simple principle is to not spend more than your GDP. You give breaks to the companies that employ the people and believe it or not tax breaks benefit everyone, not just the rich. Wait and see if the Bush Era Tax Cuts don't get extended again this year... It will mean a tax hike for every tax paying class. Middle-Class will see there tax bill grow by $3500, but yet Obama is for the Middle-Class. How can any sitting President actually NOT have a Budget Plan? The only one this President actually tried to push, got shot down in both the House & Congress unanimously by BOTH Democrats & Republicans. Obama in 2012???
Bob Bruhns
4:15 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I got my latest voter ID card in the mail about a week or two ago. I am opposed to improper voting, but it's good to let people know what they need to do in order to vote. I am not in favor of qualified voters being rejected just because they didn't know the ID requirements. And yes - on Patch, blogs are differentiated from news articles by being listed as 'Local Voices' as opposed to 'News'. Readers may not realize this, though.
Lindsay
4:21 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Holy moly, people.
Jody
4:27 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Sorry Lindsay, we're somehow off topic again and ranting about the Presidential election.
Lance Johnson
4:41 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I didn't realize it was so difficult to figure out how to vote? I have been a registered voter since I was 18 years old. As a matter of fact I actually graduated from HS and enlisted in the military before I was eligible to vote. I was raised that it was was Duty as an American to Vote, not just my right as an American. Therefore, if you don't know how to vote or what is required, isn't that a failure on the individual more than society? For the sake of argument I agree, everyone should be educated and know "How" to go about voting, but my problem is that there are organizations out there that receive Gov't tax dollars to go out and solicit people to become voters for a specific cause or party, that is what I think is absurd. Can anyone say ACORN? Yes they actually have people registered to vote that are dead or should I say it politically correct... "no longer walking among us".
Barbara Glakas
4:57 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Despite all the above digressions, the bottom line is this:
You must have your I.D. with you IN HAND when you come to vote. You will no longer be allowed to sign an affidavit this year if you accidently forgot your ID.
Acceptable forms of IDs are listed below. More info is on the State Board of Elections website at:
http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/VotinginPerson.html
Virginia voter registration card
Valid Virginia driver's license
Military ID
Any Federal, Virginia state or local government-issued ID
Employer issued photo ID card
Concealed handgun permit
Valid student ID issued by any institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck indicating the name and address of the voter
Social Security card (Only in some cases. See SBE website for more info)