Working every day to ensure every vote is verified, secured and protected. In Virginia, you can count on being counted.
One Voter
Voter
Validated
Virginia validates all registered voters to ensure you are who you are
Virginia registered voters must be validated prior to voting—with safeguards in place for both early and absentee voting
Voters can also sign an affirmation swearing they are who they say they are.
No Internet
Cyber-
Secured
Virginia voting machines are never connected to the internet on election day
Virginia voting machines are never connected to the internet in any way on election day
No connections means that hackers can't gain access to mess with or change your vote, or alter outcomes.
Paper Ballot
Ballots
Assured
Paper ballots are kept secured to provide proof of your vote and keep the count honest
Virginia ballot boxes are always locked and sealed to keep the record of your vote safe and sound
Paper ballots provide physical proof of a voter's intent and can be used to verify numbers and keep the count honest.
Virginia Votes By The Numbers
5,735,673
Registered voters live in Virginia as of May 31, 2020
15,000
Volunteers are needed to conduct general elections in Virginia (become one)
470
Pages of code are followed in conducting elections in Virginia
133
Certified registrars serve voters across the Commonwealth
95
Independent counties make up Virginia
38
Independent cities make up Virginia
17
Pages long (the job description of a VA registrar)
1
Vote (closest margin of victory in a Virginia election—see, your vote matters!)
0
Voting machines are connected to internet on election day
“Paper ballots and optical scanners are the least vulnerable to cyber-attack.”
SENATE REPORT, JULY 2019
Back To The Future Of Voting
A Brief History of Voting Machines
1892: The first mechanical voting machine debuted. Invented in 1889 by safe maker Jacob H. Myers, it was known as the Myers Ballot Machine or the Automatic Voting Booth, and was the forerunner of lever machines.
1899: Congress approves the use of mechanical voting machines for federal elections.The Atlantic
1950: The first use of voting machines in a Virginia election, in Arlington County. (A mechanical lever machine by Automatic Voting Machine Corp. of Jamestown, NY.)
2002: Under the Help America Vote Act, federal funds allow Virginia to replace old lever machines with new “direct recording electronic” (DRE) voting systems. However, security issues with the DRE system would eventually lead to their replacement.
2016: Russian hackers scan Virginia's voting systems looking for weaknesses. While unable to access the state's election infrastructure, the attempt underscored the need to invest in a more secure system with verification failsafes and backup.
2017: The Virginia State Board of Elections certifies all direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines and mandates Virginia adopt a new system backed by paper ballots.
2020: Today in Virginia, electronic pollbooks and voting machines are NEVER connected to the internet on Election Day, and our 100 percent voter-verified paper ballots system leaves an auditable trail of proof if needed.
2020+: Through ongoing risk assessment, training, technology and infrastructure advancements, and strategic partnerships, Virginia remains ever vigilant and committed to protecting the rights and votes of its citizens.
“Your vote does matter, and I can assure you as the chief election official in Virginia that your vote will count.”
CHRIS PIPER, VA Elections Commissioner
Virginia Mails It In
VA Votes
By Mail
219,800
Fact: What we now call absentee voting actually
dates back to the Civil War, when soldiers were given the
opportunity to cast ballots from the battlefield and have them
be counted back home. Soon after, states began expanding
absentee voting laws in the late 1800s to accommodate voters
who were away from home or sick on Election Day.
Mail-in votes in the 2016 VA general election
Sources: VA Department of Elections; MIT Election Data + Science Lab
Fact: nearly 1 in 4 votes were cast by mail in 2018
31 Million
Americans voted by mail in 2018
That's 28.5% of
Election participants
Since 2000 more than 250 million votes have been cast via mailed-out ballots—and in all 50 states
Virginia's Democracy Defenders Never Rest,
Vowing to keep our elections safe, secure and accessible to all voters. In Virginia, you can count on them to be counted.
Policy Analyst
Daniel Davenport
“You can't hack a piece of paper.”
As a policy analyst for the Virginia department of elections —
it's both my role and sworn duty to uphold the integrity of our electoral process. Fair elections are the bedrock of Virginia and our nation, and I'm not about to let anyone interfere with that—or us.
Registrar Liaison Supervisor
Garry E. Ellis
“Democracy is a relationship established in trust.”
Being a registrar liaison supervisor takes genuine respect for all —
it's the ability to walk in the shoes of others and to listen with open ears and keep an open mind;
and I think that's a good way to build the trust in Virginia.
Director of Elections
Stephanie Iles
“Our margin for error is really small. Actually, it's ZERO.”
Being director of elections means constantly preparing for the next election —
and that's a full-time, 365-day job. We work hard every day training and preparing for just one.
Because on Election Day you just can't leave anything to chance. And we never do.
General Registrar
Tara Morgan
“Protecting your vote is my full-time job.”
As registrar, my most important job is registering voters —
and ensuring every Virginian who wants to vote CAN vote. It's your right to share in the democratic
process of our state and our nation, and it takes all of us trusting each other to make it work.
Director of Elections
Ryan Mulligan
“The best way to vote is with confidence.”
As director of elections, I'm here to ensure voters that our elections are secure and free from interference —
and that begins by reassuring that voting machines are never connected to the internet in any way on Election Day.
No wires. No Wifi. No intrusion.
General Registrar
Teresa Smithson
“In Virginia, you can count on being counted.”
Being a registar means being here for my voters and all Virginians —
to ensure that whether voting in person at their polling place or by mail-in ballot, or even in my office,
that their vote is validated, it is secured, and it is counted. Always.