How to Vote in the Democratic and Republican Presidential Primaries

Virginia will be one of 12 states, many in the South, and one territory, American Samoa, that will hold presidential primaries or caucuses Tuesday. Super Tuesday, one of the most important days of the primary season, will likely shape the remainder of the nomination process for both parties. Here is how registered voters can participate:

Who can vote in Virginia on Super Tuesday?

People registered to vote in Virginia can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries tomorrow, because Virginia holds an open primary. If you are not currently registered to vote in Virginia you cannot vote in tomorrow’s primary.

If you are not registered in Virginia, there might still be time to register to vote in your home state. Many primaries in northern states, such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, are more than a month away and there is still time to register. Be sure to check if your state’s primary is closed, though, as this would mean you would need to also register with a political party to vote. Check out this list for more information on primary dates and registering information.

Okay, I am registered to vote in Virginia. How do I vote?

If you used your university address to register to vote, your polling place is St. James Armenian Church, 834 Pepper Ave., Richmond, Va. Polling Hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The University of Richmond will provide transportation for those who wish to vote tomorrow. According to a message sent in SpiderBytes by Brenden Carol:

"Need a ride to the polls on March 1 to vote in the Virginia Primary? If you are registered with your campus address to vote in Precinct 101, shuttles will run from the Transportation Hub outside the Commons to the polling place (St. James Armenian Church, 834 Pepper Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226) from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Shuttles will run approximately every 15 minutes."

If you are registered to vote in Virginia, but need to find a different polling location, click here.

Those who vote in-person in Virginia need valid photo identification, which include a driver’s license, a U.S. passport and a student ID issued by a public school or private school in Virginia. For more information on identification requirements, click here.

Any basic context I should know before voting tomorrow?

Donald Trump (R) and Hilary Clinton (D) hold sizable leads in Virginia ahead of the primary. Here is polling data from RealClearPolitics for the Republican primary and the Democratic primary. FiveThirtyEight takes poll numbers and other data a step further to forecast results for the Republican and Democratic primaries.

The Virginia primary, and most primaries up until March 15, is proportional, though, meaning that candidates can still earn delegates – the ultimate determining factor for receiving a nomination from either party – even if they do not win the primary.

Trump has won 82 delegates thus far. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio have earned 17 and 16, respectively. Ohio Gov. John Kasich has six delegates and Ben Carson has four. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination.

On the Democratic side, Clinton boasts a commanding lead in delegates over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 543-85, thanks in part to Clinton’s vast lead in Super Delegates, a unique feature to the Democratic primary. It takes 2,382 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Forty-nine delegates on the Republican side and 95 delegates on the Democratic side are up for grabs in tomorrow’s primary.

Contact editor-in-chief Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu