“A Voteless People is a Hopeless People” (aka VPHP) was initiated as a National Program of Alpha during the 1930’s when many African-Americans had the right to vote but were prevented from voting because of poll taxes, threats of reprisal, and lack of education about the voting process. Voter education and registration has remained a dominant focus of this outreach activity for over 65 years. In the 1990’s, the focus has shifted to include political awareness and empowerment, delivered most frequently through town meetings and candidate forums. Find more information here.
Important Dates and Information for the State of Virginia
Important Virginia Voting Dates- Virginia polling time: 6:00 am to 7:00 pm
Key Dates Concerning 2017 Virginia Elections
| Year | Project Event | Short Desc | Day of the Week | Effective Date | Task |
| 2017 | May General | Tuesday | 4/25/2017 | Deadline for general registrar to receive absentee ballot applications from citizens requesting a mailed absentee ballot | |
| 2017 | June Primary | Monday | 5/22/2017 | Last day to register to vote in the June Primary | |
| 2017 | June Primary | Registration Deadline | Monday | 5/22/2017 | Deadline to register to vote in the June Primary Election (nonmilitary) |
| 2017 | June Primary | Tuesday | 6/6/2017 | Deadline for general registrar to receive absentee ballot applications from citizens requesting a mailed absentee ballot | |
| 2017 | June Primary | Election Day | Tuesday | 6/13/2017 | Primary Day for November Elections |
| 2017 | November General | Friday | 9/22/2017 | Deadline for November General Election ballots to be available for absentee voting | |
| 2017 | November General | Saturday | 9/23/2017 | Absentee ballots for the November general election must be mailed or sent electronically if absentee ballots were not mailed or sent electronically on the 46th day before the November general election | |
| 2017 | November General | Monday | 10/16/2017 | Last day to register to vote in the November General election | |
| 2017 | November General | Registration Deadline | Monday | 10/16/2017 | Deadline to register to vote in the November general election |
| 2017 | November General | Saturday | 10/28/2017 | In-Person Absentee Voting-The general registrar’s office shall be open a minimum of eight hours between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. | |
| 2017 | November General | Absentee Mail Application Deadline | Tuesday | 10/31/2017 | 5:00 PM Deadline for GR to receive request for absentee ballot by mail in the November election |
| 2017 | November General | Absentee In-Person Application Deadline | Saturday | 11/4/2017 | In-Person Absentee Voting-The general registrar’s office shall be open a minimum of eight hours between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. |
| 2017 | November General | Election Day | Tuesday | 11/7/2017 | November General Election Day |
Virginia law requires all voters to provide an acceptable form of photo identification (photo ID) when voting in person at their polling place.
Voter Information
To register to vote in the Virginia, an individual must meet the following qualifications:
1. Be a resident of Virginia (a person who has come to Virginia for temporary purposes and intends to return to another state is not considered a resident for voting purposes
2. Be a U.S. Citizen
3. Be 18 years old (any person who is 17 years old and will be eighteen years of age at the next general election shall be permitted to register in advance and also vote in any intervening primary or special election).
4. Not be registered and plan to vote in another state
5. Not currently declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
6. If convicted of a felony, your right to vote must have been restored
Acceptable forms of photo ID:
1. Valid Virginia Driver’s license or identification card
2. Valid Virginia DMV issued Veteran’s ID card
3. Valid United States Passport
4. Other government-issued photo identification cards (must be issued by US Government, the Commonwealth
of Virginia, or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth)
5. Valid college or university student photo identification card (must be from an institution of higher education located in Virginia)
6. Employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter and issued by an employer of the voter in the ordinary course of the employer’s business
Go through the implementation guide (Cmte members): VPHP page – http://www.apa1906.net/a-voteless-people-is-a-hopeless-people
- Take the voter registration qualification guide (Cmte members) –
Voter Registration Qualification Guide - To find your specific polling place go to: Voter Polling Place Info