by Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury

There may not be much drama left in the presidential primaries, but Virginia voters will once again head to the polls today to cast their votes on who the Republican and Democratic standard-bearers should be in 2024.

Virginia’s regular polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Would-be voters can check their status and polling place by using the state’s online voter portal tool. 

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are considered heavy favorites to win their respective contests and the Virginia delegates at stake.

Trump is still facing active competition from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, but the other four GOP candidates who qualified to be on the primary ballot in Virginia — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley — have already dropped out of the race. Trump has defeated Haley in almost every state, but she has promised to stay in the running until at least Super Tuesday, when voters in more than a dozen states and American Samoa are casting ballots.

On Virginia’s Democratic ballot, Biden’s name will appear alongside Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and activist Marianne Williamson, neither of whom appear to be seriously threatening the incumbent’s bid for a second term.

Because Virginia doesn’t register voters by party, primary participants can choose to receive a Republican or Democratic ballot. Voters cannot cast ballots in both primaries.

All voters are asked to present identification to vote; find a list of acceptable forms of I.D. here. If you don’t have an acceptable form of I.D., you can still vote by either signing an affirmation of identity form and then using a regular ballot or completing a provisional ballot; here’s how that process works.

Virginia now has a same-day registration process allowing those who didn’t register in advance to cast a provisional ballot on the day of an election. However, those ballots aren’t counted immediately. They are only counted if officials can confirm the voter’s eligibility in a verification process that occurs shortly after Election Day.

Voters under 18 are allowed to participate in the presidential primaries as long as they turn 18 before the Nov. 5 general election.

(Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.)