High School Voter Registration

High School Voter Registration

Voting Rights Now

LWV-VA 2025-2026 High School Voter Registration Challenge

The League of Women Voters of Virginia provides an opportunity for Virginia High Schools and Colleges to gain recognition for assisting their students register to vote. We also can help guide and attend your registration efforts.

Students throughout the Commonwealth can register to vote if they are a resident of Virginia and will be at least 18 years of age by the date of Virginia’s next General Election (November 3, for 2026). Additionally, students 16 years of age are allowed to pre-register, and their registration automatically becomes active as soon as they qualify in age to vote.

Schools that want to participate should contact the LWV-VA Voter Services Director at
voterservices@|wv-va.org. All schools that meet the High School Voter Registration Challenge Criteria for the 2025-2026 School Year will be recognized. The Criteria focuses on providing students with a strong, publicized opportunity to register to vote. Our Local Leagues, in partnership with the State League, are available to assist any Virginia high school develop and conduct a robust Voter Registration Program that qualifies for this recognition. We will help you develop a program satisfying Virginia's law requiring high schools to give qualified students an opportunity to register to vote during regular school hours (VaCode § 22.1-203.4).

The deadline for the 2025-2026 Challenge is May 29, 2026.

What Are the Prerequisites for Registering to Vote in Virginia?

  • Be a United States citizen
  • Be a resident of Virginia
  • Be at least 18 years of age by the next general election
    • 17-year-olds who turn 18 on or before the next general election (Nov. 3, 2026) can register now and also vote in any intervening primary or special election
    • Those not old enough to register under Virginia rules can still pre-register if they are at least 16 years of age
    • Have had voting rights restored if ever convicted of a felony
    • Have had capacity restored if ever declared mentally incapacitated in a Circuit Court

What do you need to register?

  • Your full Social Security Number
  • Your Date of Birth

Can you register to vote online??

  • Yes, if you have a Virginia driver's license, a learners' permit, or other DMV ID, you can! If not, then you can begin the registration process online. You will, however, need to print out the application and mail it in.

Virginia residents, mail your application to:

Virginia Department of Elections
Washington Building
1100 Bank Street, First Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone 804-864-8901
Email: info [at] elections.virginia.gov

Download the 2024-25 LWV-VA High School Voter Registration Challenge flyer and post or share in places where anyone meeting the criteria can see it.

The official school links for High Schools, Community Colleges, and Colleges can be found below. (As schools update their names, we will update our list.) Use those if you are a student at one of these schools. If you are a Homeschool student, then you need to use this link Homeschooled. For those who are not students but meet the criteria, use this link Not Student.