All election offices in the Commonwealth will be open on Oct. 31, in addition to regular business hours, for in-person absentee ballot voting for the Nov. 3 general election. Absentee ballot applications are available at all election offices and must be completed prior to casting the ballot. Saturday absentee voting provides Virginia voters with an additional opportunity to cast their qualifying absentee ballot in-person at their local voter registration office.

There are 19 acceptable reasons for voting absentee, and all eligible Virginia voters are encouraged to take advantage of this program.

“Absentee voting is a wonderful option that allows Virginians to participate in the upcoming election even if they are unable to make it to the polls on Election Day,” said Edgardo Cortés, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections. The list of acceptable reasons includes a student attending college outside of locality of residence; business or vacation outside locality of residence; first responders and members of the military; those who are pregnant, disabled or caring for a disabled family member; and other reasons. A complete list of acceptable reasons is available at elections.virginia.gov.

Important absentee ballot dates to remember if voting in the Nov. 3 general election:

• The deadline to apply for a ballot by mail is on Oct. 27.
• The remaining Saturday to vote absentee in-person is Oct. 31.
• The deadline to vote absentee in-person is Oct. 31.
• The deadline for returning your ballot by mail is by 7 p.m. Nov. 3.

Virginia voters casting an absentee ballot either in-person or on Election Day must show an acceptable photo ID. Voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID may still vote absentee in-person after completing the Virginia Voter Photo Identification Card Application and receiving a Temporary Identification Document from their voter registration office.

The Suffolk Voter Registrar’s office is located at 440 Market St. Call 514-7750 for more information.