A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a covered voter, as defined in § 24.2-452, may use a federal write-in absentee ballot in any election. Such ballot shall be submitted and processed in the manner provided by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. § 20301 et seq.) and this article.
B. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a federal write-in absentee ballot submitted pursuant to subsection A shall be considered valid for purposes of simultaneously satisfying both an absentee ballot application and a completed absentee ballot, provided that the ballot is received no later than the deadline for the return of absentee ballots as provided in § 24.2-709 for the election in which the voter offers to vote, and the application contains the following information: (i) the voter's signature; however, if the voter is unable to sign, the person assisting the voter will note this fact in the voter signature box; (ii) the voter's printed name; (iii) the county or city in which he is registered and offers to vote; (iv) the residence address at which he is registered to vote; (v) his current military or overseas address; and (vi) the signature of a witness who shall sign the same application.
C. This section shall not be construed to require that an absentee ballot be sent to the absentee voter on receipt of a federal write-in absentee ballot unless the voter has also submitted an absentee ballot application pursuant to § 24.2-701.
1993, c. 813, § 24.1-228.2:1; 1993, c. 641; 2002, cc. 785, 819; 2009, cc. 230, 310; 2010, cc. 449, 645; 2011, cc. 427, 458; 2012, c. 353; 2015, c. 313; 2019, cc. 668, 669; 2020, cc. 1149, 1151, 1201.
Structure Code of Virginia
§ 24.2-700. Persons entitled to vote by absentee ballot
§ 24.2-701. Application for absentee ballot
§ 24.2-701.1. Absentee voting in person
§ 24.2-701.2. Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices
§ 24.2-702.1. Federal write-in absentee ballots
§ 24.2-703.1. Permanent absentee voter list
§ 24.2-703.2. Replacement absentee ballots for certain disabled or ill voters; penalty
§ 24.2-704. Applications and ballots for persons requiring assistance in voting; penalty
§ 24.2-705. Emergency applications and absentee ballots for individual emergencies
§ 24.2-706. Duty of general registrar on receipt of application; statement of voter
§ 24.2-707. How ballots marked and returned
§ 24.2-707.1. Drop-off locations for return of absentee ballots
§ 24.2-709. Ballot to be returned in manner prescribed by law
§ 24.2-709.1. Processing returned absentee ballots before election day; cure process
§ 24.2-710. Absentee voter applicant lists
§ 24.2-711. Duties of electoral board, general registrar, and officers of election
§ 24.2-711.1. Absentee ballots; confirmation of receipt; notice of reason for rejection
§ 24.2-712. Central absentee voter precincts; counting ballots
§ 24.2-713. Emergency authority of the Commissioner of Elections