Virginia Law

A. Residency shall be broadly construed to provide the greatest opportunity to register and to vote. A residence can be established in a commercial, industrial, or other building that is not normally used for residential purposes if the building serves as the applicant's primary nighttime residence. A homeless person will be considered resident in the location where the homeless person usually sleeps at night. In cases involving nontraditional habitations, the location of the person's usual sleeping area shall be controlling as to the residency of that person.

B. No presumption in favor of or against residence may arise merely on the basis of a person's presence or absence in the following circumstances:

1. While employed in the service of the Commonwealth or United States, whether military or civilian;

2. While engaged in the navigation of the waters of the United States or of the high seas;

3. While employed by or enrolled as a student in any educational institution, or residing in any housing commonly occupied by students or faculty;

4. While confined in any jail or other correctional facility as a nonfelon;

5. While receiving treatment or being confined for any reason in a nursing home, hospital, rehabilitation or short term care facility, retirement or veterans' home, or like institution or private facility;

6. While remaining in a location only during the workweek in order to conduct business; or

7. While residing in an area within the boundaries of Virginia that has been ceded to or acquired by the federal government.

C. If a person resides in an area lacking a specific mailing address, the general registrar shall ask him to provide a mailing address along with a description indicating where the person resides. However, no person shall be denied registration for failure to submit a mailing address. The description must identify the location with sufficient specificity to allow the general registrar to place the location in a defined precinct. The general registrar shall assign the person to the precinct containing the location where he resides.

D. A person whose home is destroyed or rendered uninhabitable does not lose residence at that home if he intends to return to the home when it is reconstructed or made habitable, unless he has either established a new domicile or has changed his voter registration.

E. A person whose residence is divided by a jurisdictional boundary line or election district boundary line shall be deemed to reside in the location of his bedroom or usual sleeping area.

F. The general registrar shall not automatically presume the residence of one spouse to be that of the other spouse, but shall determine the other spouse's residence in accordance with the applicable statutes and regulations.

G. A person loses voting residence in any county or city in Virginia by registering to vote or voting in any other county, city, or state. An otherwise qualified voter shall not lose their residence at an address until they have established their residence at another address.