Virginia Elections 2026
- A Nonpartisan Guide

Barry A. Klinger, Fall 2026

Your Vote May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

All seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for Election. Currently the House has a slim Republican majority, effectively 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats. Depending on which party controls the House and which party controls the Senate, Congress may help or impede the president's agenda. Which of those will happen is up to you, the voters.

Only a few of Virginia's eleven Congressional Districts (CDs) had close elections in 2024. The map below shows the results from that year, as well as the major party candidates this year (blue and red for Democrats and Republicans, respectively; incumbent candidate is listed first and in boldface). The close elections in 2024 were CD 7 and CD 10 in the north, and CD 2 on the Eastern Shore and near the Norfolk area.

This year, polling and early voting returns suggest that the vote may be close in those districts and in CD 1 and CD 5 as well.

Fairfax City and GMU's Fairfax Campus are both in CD 11, which is not expected to be close. Students who have a permanent address elsewhere in Virginia but have a temporary address on campus can choose which address to use for voting. (Obviously, must just vote one time from one address!). In some cases, a vote from the permanent address may be more consequential if it is in a district with a close election.

Young adults have as much right to vote as any other demographic.
Age group with lowest turnout: ages 18-29.

Virginia Voting Information

Eligible voters may vote: in person on election day, in person during early voting, and via mail if they obtain an absentee ballot. All voters must be registered for the place in which they will vote.

Some important dates for voting:

• 23 October: deadline to register and/or apply for mail-in ballot
• 31 October: early voting ends
• 3 November: Election Day (no school)

Official Virginia Election Web Page: www.elections.virginia.gov
Mason Votes: masonvotes.gmu.edu
Voting Guide: A Quick Guide to Voting as a Mason Student
Official Summary of 2026 Election: General and Special Elections

Statewide Ballot Measures

Three statewide questions are on the ballot in 2026.

Question 1: State constitutional right to reproductive freedom.
Question 2: Repeal provision defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Question 3: Restore voting rights upon release from incarceration.

See ballotpedia.org/Virginia_2026_ballot_measures or the Official Summary for more information.