Any Dominion student who will turn 18 on or before November 8, 2016—the day of the 2016 Presidential election—is eligible to vote in the general election. What many of these students don’t know is that they’re also eligible to vote in the Virginia primary on March 1^st, 2016. To do so, however, students must register to vote by February 8th, 2016. Virginia has ‘open’ primaries, where students do not need to declare the party election they will vote in ahead of time or be preregistered with that party. Instead, they have until they reach the polling place before deciding which ballot they will cast. The steps for a Virginia student to ensure that they will be eligible to vote in the 2016 primaries are as follows:

1. Obtain a voter registration form.

Students not already registered to vote can do so in a number of ways. Voter registration forms can be obtained at voter registration offices, the DMV, and public libraries. They can also be printed online.

2. Mail in the form.

Voter registration forms must be mailed to a voter registration office 22 days before the Primary election—postmarked by February 8^th. You can also deliver the registration form in person to any voter registration office.

3. Locate your primary.

Using the Virginia Polling Place Lookup, search for the location where you will be eligible to vote. Arriving at any other polling place will render you ineligible to vote in the primary.

4. Show up on time.

The polling window on March 1^st will be from 6 A.M. to 7 P.M. Going during an off-time—anywhere between 10 A.M. and 3 P.M.—will ensure an expedient trip.

Once you arrive at the polling place, volunteers will be able to direct you to the correct location according to which party primary you declare you wish to vote in. Make sure to grab an ‘I Voted’ sticker on the way out!