Registered voters who will be away from Shenandoah County on Election Day, or who are unable to go to the polls because of illness or disability, may vote by absentee ballot. Also, a voter can vote absentee if he is a student away from home, or absent on business, personal business or vacation. Workers communting to and from home for 11 or more hours between 6:00 am and 7:00 pm on election day can vote absentee. Eligible citizens may vote in-person in the office of the General Registrar prior to Election Day, or apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to them.
| Am I eligible to vote absentee? |  |
You may vote absentee if you...
- are a student or the spouse of a student
- will be away on business
- will be away on personal business or vacation
- are unable to go to the polls because of illness or disability
- are the primary caretaker of a confined family member
- are confined awaiting trial
- are confined having been convicted of a misdemeanor
- are an election official
- are on active duty in the military
- are the spouse or dependent residing with a member of the military
- are regularly employed outside the United States
- are the spouse or dependent residing with someone regularly employed outside the U.S.
- are pregnant
- are a first responder
New registrants who submitted their voter registration applications by mail must vote in person (either in-person absentee or at the polls on election day) unless the voter is a full time college student, absent active duty military, residing overseas, physically handicapped, age 65 or over (however, they must also list a qualifying reason for voting absentee, as age itself does not qualify a voter for absentee ballot), or vote a "presidential only" ballot.
| How can I vote absentee? | |
You can vote absentee in the office of the General Registrar/Electoral Board or you may apply to receive an absentee ballot by mail.
| Where can I go to vote absentee in-person? | |
Qualified registered voters eligible to vote absentee, may do so in the office of the General Registrar, in person during; the 45 day period before any election or in the case of a special election, if time is insufficient to meet the applicable deadline established.
An application completed in person shall be made not less than seven days prior to the election in which the applicant offers to vote and completed only in the office of the General Registrar. The application shall be signed in the presence of a registrar.
Voting by absentee in-person requires the voter to complete an application for absentee ballot and vote in the Registrar’s office. This process typically takes 10-15 minutes, depending upon the number of persons waiting to vote by absentee and/or the number of issues on the ballot to be voted. The final day for in-person absentee voting in the Office of the Registrar is the Saturday before election day.
| How do I apply to receive a ballot by mail? | |
You must complete an Absentee Ballot Application and mail it to the General Registrar at 600 North Main Street, Suite 103, Woodstock, VA 22664 or fax it to us at 540-459-6196. Applications for absentee ballots may be requested up to 10 months before an election.
To receive an absentee ballot by mail, the application must be received in the office of the General Registrar by the Tuesday before election day.
You may contact the Registrar’s office by phone or e-mail below and have an Absentee Ballot Application mailed to you.
In order to request an absentee ballot application be mailed to you, please email us at  .
You may download the Absentee Ballot Application, however you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader program installed on your computer to print an absentee ballot application. If you DO NOT have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you can download it by clicking on the red icon below:
 Download the Virginia Absentee Ballot Application 
Fully complete all information on the form including the reason you need to vote absentee, the address where you want the ballot mailed, your full name, legal residence address, and social security number. The application MUST be signed.
NOTE: Military personnel and citizens over seas should use the Federal Post Card Application absentee ballot.
Download the Federal Post Card Application
| When will I receive the ballot? | |
The Electoral Board begins mailing ballots approximately 45 days prior to each Election. Ballots are mailed within the next three business days after receiving the Absentee Ballot Application. Please apply early to allow time to receive your ballot, vote it, and return ballot to the Electoral Board.
| How do I return my absentee ballot if I voted by mail? | |
Please carefully follow the marking instructions received with your ballot. After marking your ballot, return it in the envelopes provided. Be sure to fully complete the inner envelope, sign the oath, and have it witnessed. The witness may be anyone 18 years of age or older.
| How is my absentee ballot counted? | |
All absentee ballots voted both in-person or by mail are tabulated on election day in the Central Absentee precinct.
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