Fincastle, Virginia Public Records

Virginia residents can register to vote online through the Virginia Department of Elections Citizens Portal at www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal. The registration deadline falls 22 days before any election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, Virginia residents, at least 18 years old by the next general election, and not currently declared mentally incompetent by a court or convicted of a felony unless civil rights have been restored. Valid forms of identification include a Virginia driver's license number, the last four digits of a Social Security number, or a copy of acceptable photo ID. The Town of Fincastle holds municipal elections for Mayor and Town Council members. The Mayor serves a four-year term, while council members serve staggered four-year terms, with elections typically scheduled for May of odd-numbered years concurrent with other Virginia local elections. The next regular town elections will be held in May 2025 and May 2027. Candidate filings and local ballot measures for these contests are managed through the Town of Fincastle office at 107 East Back Street in coordination with the county electoral board. Since this is an incorporated town, residents participate in both municipal elections and county-level races for Board of Supervisors representatives, constitutional officers, Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, Clerk of Circuit Court, Commonwealth's Attorney, and school board members. Residents can look up their assigned polling place, sample ballot, and election information through the Virginia Department of Elections website at www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal or by contacting the Botetourt County Elections Office. Polling places are assigned based on residential address and precinct boundaries. In 2026, federal races will include one of Virginia's two U.S. Senate seats, as Senator Mark Warner's seat is up that year, along with Virginia's 6th Congressional District U.S. House seat, which includes Botetourt County. County-level constitutional officers may also appear depending on the election cycle, and local races could include Board of Supervisors seats, school board positions, and town council seats for Fincastle if scheduled for that cycle. Virginia election records that are public include voter registration lists, available to candidates, political parties, and certain authorized requesters under Code of Virginia § 24.2-405, with restrictions on commercial use. Campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political action committees can be searched through the Virginia Department of Elections at www.elections.virginia.gov. Candidate filings and statements of qualification, official election results by precinct available through the State Board of Elections and local registrars, and electoral board minutes are also public. Botetourt County precinct-level results are published on the Botetourt County elections website following certification. Virginia offers several options for absentee voting. Any registered voter may vote by mail with an absentee ballot without providing an excuse. Applications can be submitted online through the Citizen Portal at www.elections.virginia.gov, by mail, email, or fax to the Botetourt County Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 5 West Main Street, Suite 105, Fincastle, VA 24090, fax (540) 473-8371, email elections@botetourtva.gov. The application deadline is 11 days before the election at 5:00 PM. Completed absentee ballots must be returned by mail, postmarked by Election Day and received by noon the third day after the election, or delivered in person to the elections office by 7:00 PM on Election Day. Virginia also offers early in-person absentee voting beginning 45 days before the election at the Voter Registration Office, allowing voters to cast ballots in person during an extended period before Election Day. No excuse or justification is required for any form of absentee voting in Virginia.