Voter Registration Deadline Approaching For VA Democratic Primary

VIRGINIA — The registration deadline to vote in the March 3 Democratic presidential primary in Virginia is rapidly approaching, even as the results from the Iowa caucuses have yet to be fully tabulated. Virginia residents must register by Feb. 10 in order to be eligible to vote in the state's Democratic primary.

Residents can register to vote or update their voter registration information by mail, as long as the application is postmarked no later than Feb. 10. They also can register in person as long as applications are submitted by 5 p.m. on Feb. 10 and register online as long as application are submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 10, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

Virginia residents can can check or update their registration status or register to vote at the Department of Election's online Citizen Portal.

Several candidates remain in the race for the Democratic nomination, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) and former South Bend (IN) Mayor Pete Buttigieg running neck and neck in the Iowa caucuses, which have been marked by controversy over the debacle surrounding the results-tabulation process.

Heading into New Hampshire's Feb. 11 primary, Sanders is holding a healthy lead in state polls at 31 percent, according to 7 News/Emerson College Polling, although Buttigieg, at 21 percent, appears to be gaining momentum in New Hampshire after his strong showing in Iowa.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) are trailing, with the polls showing each at 12 percent among likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters, followed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN) at 11 percent.

Virginia's primary falls on Super Tuesday, when 16 states and U.S. territories vote in primaries and caucuses . March 3 will be the big test to see whether the millions of dollars that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is spending on television and Internet advertisements will allow the billionaire to make a grand entry into the race for the Democratic nomination. With the number of states at play, Biden and Warren also could rebound from their disappointing showings in Iowa on Super Tuesday.

To register to vote in Virginia's Democratic primary, people must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Virginia and at least 18 years old by Nov. 3, the date of the November general election. Seventeen-year-olds who register by Feb. 10 and will turn 18 by Nov. 3 are eligible to vote in the March 3 Democratic presidential primary.

For in-person voter registration, residents can go to their local voter registration office. The Department of Elections' website lets residents look up the address of local voter registration offices.

Voter registration applications are also available at DMV customer service centers, social service offices, public libraries and other state and local government offices.