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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>56984</law_id><section_number>24.2-644</section_number><catch_line>Voting by paper ballot; voting for presidential electors; write-in votes</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>24.2-648</reference><reference>24.2-653</reference><reference>24.2-707</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="24.2">Elections</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="6">The Election</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Conduct of Election; Election Results</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">qualified voter</span> shall take the official <span class="dictionary">paper ballot</span> and enter the voting booth. After entering the voting booth, the <span class="dictionary">qualified voter</span> shall mark the ballot in accordance with the instructions for the type of ballot, for each <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> for whom he wishes to vote, leaving unmarked the name of each <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> for whom he does not wish to vote. Any ballot marked so that the <span class="dictionary">intent</span> of the voter is clear shall be counted. <a id="paragraph-208729" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-644/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary">qualified voter</span> at a presidential <span class="dictionary">election</span> shall mark the ballot in accordance with the instructions for the type of ballot, for his choice of <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> for President and Vice President. His ballot so marked shall be counted as if he had marked the ballot in accordance with the instructions for the type of ballot preceding the names of the individual electors affiliated with his choice for President and Vice President. The <span class="dictionary">qualified voter</span> at a presidential <span class="dictionary">election</span> may cast a write-in vote for President and Vice President as provided in subsections C and D. <a id="paragraph-208730" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-644/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> At all elections except <span class="dictionary">primary elections</span> it is lawful for any voter to vote for any person other than the listed <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> for the office by writing or hand printing the person&#x2019;s name on the official ballot. No check or other mark shall be required to cast a valid write-in vote. Write-in votes for President and Vice President shall be counted only for <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> who have filed a joint declaration of <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to be write-in <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> for the offices with the Commissioner of Elections not less than 10 days before the date of the presidential <span class="dictionary">election</span>. The declaration of <span class="dictionary">intent</span> shall be on a form prescribed by the <span class="dictionary">State Board</span> and shall include a list of presidential electors pledged to those <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> which equals the whole number of senators and representatives to which the Commonwealth at that time is entitled in the Congress of the United States. A write-in vote cast for <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> for President and Vice President, or for a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> for President only, shall be counted for the individual electors listed on the declaration of <span class="dictionary">intent</span> as pledged to those <span class="dictionary">candidates</span>. <a id="paragraph-208731" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-644/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> No write-in vote shall be counted unless the name is entered on the ballot in conformance with this section. No write-in vote shall be counted when it is apparent to the officers of <span class="dictionary">election</span> that a voter has voted for the same person for the same office more than one time. No write-in vote shall be counted for an office for any person whose name appears on the ballot as a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> for that office. If two or more persons are to be elected to the same office, a voter may vote for one or more persons whose names do appear on the ballot and one or more persons whose names do not appear on the ballot, provided that the total number of votes cast by him for that office does not exceed the number of persons to be elected to that office. <a id="paragraph-208732" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-644/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 24-245, 24-252, 24-290.5, 24-307; 1952, c. 581; 1962, cc. 260, 536; 1964, c. 593; 1970, c. 462, &#xA7;&#xA7; 24.1-129, 24.1-161, 24.1-217; 1973, c. 30; 1975, c. 515; 1984, c. 234; 1985, cc. 197, 458; 1987, c. 349; 1990, c. 214; 1993, c. 641; 1997, c. 100; 2013, c. 542; 2018, c. 464.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
