How to Vote

There has never been a time when exercising your right to vote was more important than NOW!

Election days 2026 in Virginia, April 21 (Amendment), August 4 (Primary), and November 3 (General), are rapidly approaching.

Who knows what those days will bring between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM? Will they be sunny and warm, or cold and windy with rain? Will the lines be long and time consuming? Will there be perceived threats? Will you feel comfortable in every way?

Early in-person voting for theProposed Constitutional Amendment is happening now. It began on March 6, and it ends on April 18. Any registered voter may vote in-person early. No excuse – medical, travel, or otherwise – is needed.

Early voting and voter registration in Amherst County is at the Registrar’s office on the first floor of the Courthouse Building in the Town of Amherst, 113 Taylor Street.

The Amherst Registrar’s office hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Additionally, for proposed Amendment early in-person voting, the office will be open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the last two Saturdays, April 11 & 18.

The last day to register or update your information to be eligible to vote on the proposed Constitutional Amendment is Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Be sure to have an acceptable valid ID with you. Among the accepted ID’s are…

Virginia driver’s license, may be current or expired.

Virginia DMV-issued ID card, may be current or expired.

U.S. Military ID

Valid U.S. passport or passport card

Government-issued ID from a federal, Virginia, or local political subdivision

Many forms of Valid Student IDs (must be eighteen by election day)

Voter ID card issued by the Department of Elections

Valid tribal enrollment or other tribal ID, if issued by one of Virginia’s 11 recognized tribes

Note: The Monacan Nation is recognized.

The full list of acceptable forms of ID may be found here:

https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/voter-id/outreach-materials/documents/Voter-Identification-Chart—Revised-07.2025.pdf

Everyone should vote. Let me say that again, EVERYONE SHOULD VOTE. It is in the foundation of our democratic republic that we as the people should vote.

Here’s what people do not understand: if you do not vote, you are relinquishing your freedom of speech. Our nation’s founding fathers insisted on giving the public the right to use their voice in order to decide on who they want as a leader. Because of this privilege, the first amendment gives you freedom of speech through voting. By not voting, you are simply throwing your voice away. Ben Franklin claimed that the new government was a “republic if you can keep it.” So by not voting, you make the democratic system one step closer to vanishing.

Another thing people somehow seem to forget is that these elections matter. It’s not like we are choosing what kind of cereal we want our moms to buy for us this week (which can be challenging); we are voting for our nation’s leader for, potentially, the next four years. Elections are your chance to let your voice be heard about matters that are important to you and your lifestyle. By not voting, you are leaving the things that affect you up to someone else.

Everyone should vote. Let me say that again, EVERYONE SHOULD VOTE. It is in the foundation of our democratic republic that we as the people should vote.