Super Tuesday: What Virginia voters need to know for the presidential primary

Virginia is one of 16 states that will hold its presidential primary on Super Tuesday, the biggest single primary Election Day for the upcoming presidential election.

Virginia has an open primary system, meaning voters can request either a Democratic or Republican ballot and don’t have to be a registered member with that party to vote. All qualified voters may vote in either primary, but not in both.

Who is on the ballot?

Six candidates will be on the ballot for Virginia’s Republican primary, but only two candidates remain in the race to snag the GOP nomination: former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Ballots will also include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Ryan Binkley, a pastor and CEO from Texas.

Three candidates will be on the Democratic primary ballot: President Joe Biden, author Marianne Williamson and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota.

Earlier this year, several states decided to remove or ban Trump from the Republican ballot due to his previous attempt at overturning his election loss to Biden in 2020, including attempts here in Virginia. But the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously restored Trump to all 2024 presidential primary ballots, ending such efforts from Colorado, Maine, Illinois and elsewhere.

The case centered on a provision of the 14th Amendment adopted after the Civil War that prevents former officeholders from holding office if they “engaged in insurrection.” The Supreme Court justices ruled that states cannot invoke it as that power resides with Congress, the court wrote in an unsigned opinion.

Attempts at the local level to have Trump removed from the ballot have been unsuccessful in Virginia, though two Hampton Roads activists filed litigation in January in Richmond aimed at state Department of Elections officials that argued deeming him a qualified candidate would violate state election law.

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Super Tuesday polling

A February poll from Roanoke College’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research surveyed 705 adult Virginians ahead of Super Tuesday, finding more than half (56%) of Virginians were likely or somewhat likely to vote. Of the entire sample, 40% of Democrats, 84% of Republicans and 55% of independents self-identified as likely voters.

The poll also looked at likely matchups for the presidency in November’s general election, with Biden maintaining a four-point lead over Republican frontrunner Trump (47% to 43%). But Haley was projected at a nine-point lead over Biden (49% to 40%) if she’s were GOP’s nominee.

David Taylor, director of IPOR and professor of mathematics at Roanoke College, said though it’s not surprising that Trump will likely win Virginia’s GOP primary, he expects voter turnout will be lower than what the poll suggests “based on what we’ve seen in the past.”

“Trump has a 62-point lead among Republicans and Haley has a 10-point lead among independents, so while a Trump victory is the likely outcome, Haley will capture several of Virginia’s 48 delegates up for grabs,” Taylor said.

When asked about the most important issue to Virginian voters, 27% of respondents said jobs and the economy, 17% said immigration, 13% said inflation, and 9% said abortion.

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How to vote

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters can cast ballots as long as they are in line by 7 p.m.

Polling locations are printed on voter registration cards. Voters can also look up polling places online at vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.

Same day voter registration is allowed, but those who register must use a provisional ballot.

Voters need a valid ID to cast a ballot. For a list of acceptable forms of identification, visit: www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/voterid/index.html.

In-person early voting spanned from Jan. 19 through March 2. Voters who obtained absentee ballots can drop off ballots at the general registrar’s office or polling location on Election Day. If voters return absentee ballots by mail, the ballots must be postmarked on or before March 5 and received by the general registrar before noon March 8.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com