Since 2021, absentee ballot requests have more than doubled in Virginia. This is driven by increased permanent absentee registration, which has grown by 177%, which is attributable to both the 2020 law change and by voter preference for convenience. Growth is visible across all demographics and geographies, with the most striking gains are among younger voters under the age of 35, who have shown 5x growth in permanent absentee signups since 2021.
Permanent absentee sign-ups have increased by more than 125% in each age range since 2021.
- Voters over 65 continue to hold the largest number of permanent absentee ballots.
- These voters are crucial to communicate with, as in 2021 85% of permanent absentee voters cast their ballot, which was 28% higher turnout than the rest of the electorate.
Permanent absentee registration has exploded all over Virginia since 2021. In particular, Rural areas have grown about 4% faster than in urban areas, relative to their 2021 levels. This is a positive trend for conservatives given the strong vote totals Republican candidates receive in these regions.
The largest increase in permanent absentee records is in the Washington DC media market, adding over a quarter-million requests. Outside DC, the largest increases are in Richmond, Norfolk, and Roanoke. Together, they add over 460,000 new permanent absentee voters, showing the raw permanent request totals remain concentrated in Virginia’s major urban and suburban markets.
These trends show the critical importance of getting your voters to sign-up for permanent absentee voting, given their increased likelihood to turnout. Putting in the work well ahead of Election Day allows campaigns to bank their votes and streamline targeting operations heading into the critical October GOTV effort.
