Jenny Brock and her team do an amazing job caring for their clients while buying and/or selling a home. But the magnitude of that life event, plus packing up your earthly possessions and working and caring for a family are significant stressors. Then add a consequential election to the mix. That’ll frazzle anyone.

Taking the worry away

Someone recently reached out to me in this exact situation. At Laura Kassner Consulting, our mission is to reduce your mental load so you can pursue things that bring you joy. We provide “Life Wife” services - from devising systems to make your home function smoothly to research and planning skills to navigate big life decisions, and everything in between. This client was appropriately worried her vote wouldn’t count because her closing and moving dates were so close to Election Day. I did the research and want to share what I learned with you. 

Assuming you’re moving within the Commonwealth of Virginia:

• You cannot register to vote in a new jurisdiction until you live there, and 
• The last day to register to vote in Virginia this year is October 15.

So, if you ARE living in your new home before October 15:

• Go to the registrar’s office in the locality that matches your new home once you live in it and register to vote before October 15. 
• Once you’re registered, you can vote early in-person (more on that in a minute) or wait until election day if you’d prefer and vote at your new precinct.

If you ARE NOT living in your home before October 15, you can either:

• Vote early in-person in the jurisdiction where you currently live OR
• Vote a provisional ballot in your new jurisdiction. That means you would complete a voter registration application and a ballot at the same time. As long as the application is processed and accepted, then the vote will count.

In either scenario, you can take advantage of early in-person voting, which takes place beginning 45 days before Election Day and ends the Saturday before Election Day, with times and locations set by each locality. This is a legal and ethical option that gives you flexibility and convenience - even if you’re not moving!

Next steps

I encourage everyone to make a plan to vote. Vote 411 has some excellent, non-partisan resources to support you, all in one place. You can check your registration, register to vote, learn about early voting options, explore day-of voting options, research candidates, and even share your voting plan with family and friends.

I am so looking forward to casting a vote this November, and I offer these two thoughts to encourage you to join me, even if you’re not as excited as I am:

“Voting isn’t marriage – it’s public transport. You are not waiting for ‘the one’ who is absolutely perfect. You are getting [on] the bus. And if there isn’t one going exactly to your destination, you don’t stay at home. You take the one going closest to where you want to be.” - Paul Tambyah

“A vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children.” - Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock

Please share this blog post with anyone you know who is moving during this election season, and don’t hesitate to reach out - whether it be about the voting or another personal project you need support in tackling. Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or book a free 15 minute call so we can get acquainted.