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If you want to cast a vote in one of Tuesday’s primaries, you still have a couple days to do it. Early voting in the presidential primaries wraps up on Saturday, March 2. Then the polling places open up on Primary Day. That’ll be Tuesday, March 5. And while the Republican primary has gotten all the media attention of late, there is in fact a Democratic presidential primary as well. 

Now since there are two primaries happening, when you go to vote, early or on Primary Day, election officers will ask which one you want to cast a ballot in. That is, they’re asking if you want a Republican or Democratic ballot. Because Virginia doesn’t have closed elections, you can choose which of the primaries to vote in. 

To be clear, the choice to vote in a party’s primary does not mean that the voter will be “registered” with that party.  Virginia does not have party registration. Six candidates will appear on the Republican primary ballot: Chris Christie, Ryan L. Binkley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald J. Trump, Ron D. DeSantis, and Nikki R. Haley. Three candidates will appear on the Democratic primary ballot: Joe Biden, Marianne Williamson and Dean Benson Phillips.

And yes, we realize that the majority of these candidates have already dropped out of their respective races. Their names will still show up on primary ballots, because those sheets were printed before each one quit. 

A reminder about early options 

So how do you vote early in these last few days? Registered voters can go to the general registrar’s office for the jurisdiction in which they are registered, present their ID, and cast their ballot. In Prince Edward, the registrar’s office is at 124 N. Main Street in Farmville. For Buckingham County, you can find it at 13360 W. James Anderson Highway. And finally, in Cumberland, it’s at 1487 Anderson Highway.

Also, to be clear, you might hear of some jurisdictions offering early in-person voting at both the general registrar’s office and some satellite locations. That’s not the case in Buckingham, Cumberland or Prince Edward. Curbside voting, meanwhile, is also available for those with disabilities and anyone over 65. When you arrive at the registrar’s office, give them a call and someone will come out and help take your ballot once you vote.

Now if you want an absentee ballot, it’s too late to request one. The deadline to apply for a mailed ballot, as we’ve mentioned before, was Friday, Feb. 23. But if you have already received an absentee ballot, you can drop it off either at the registrar’s office or your polling location on Primary Day.

If you decide to just put it in the mail, you’re on the clock. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before March 5 and received by the general registrar before noon Friday, March 8.