community engagement

Voting on Election Day This Fall

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Voting on Tuesday Nov. 4, 2025

students waiting in line to ride the trolley to the polling place on election day.
Students waiting to ride the trolley.

The November 4, 2025 election will be celebrated on the UMW campus with rides to the polls  from the Bell Tower. The Fredericksburg Trolley will provide free rides from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., leaving from the Bell Tower on campus and driving in a loop to the Dorothy Hart Community Center (the polling place for those registered to vote on campus) and back.

In 2019, the University Faculty Council voted to cancel most classes on Election Day. This is part of Day on Democracy, a tradition started at UMW and now recognized nationwide by universities and colleges. At University of Mary Washington, most lecture classes are cancelled on Election Day, to encourage members of our community to participate in our democratic system. Classes that meet once a week or labs continue as scheduled and as communicated by instructors.

Students standing by a trolley
Be Vote Ready!

1. First, check  your registration status

If you are registered to vote in Virginia, you can check your registration status through the Virginia Department of Elections. Follow the prompts for “check your registration status”. Confirm that you are registered to vote, and take note of where you are registered. Also, make sure you have done the research to learn what is on your ballot. The state level races for Ward 2 in the City of Fredericksburg can be found here, and the local level races for Ward 2 in the City of Fredericksburg can be found here.

2. Second, make sure you know your “Residence Address”

If you are registered to vote in Virginia, you can find your Residence Address through the Virginia Department of Elections.  You can also find your Residence Address by  checking your registration status, and that will tell you your residence address where you are registered to vote. If you registered to vote as a resident of campus housing (dorms and residence halls), your residence address is 1301 College Ave. 

two female student voters

3. Identify where your polling place is.  

Students living in UMW residential housing (Dorms, Eagle Landing, or University Apartments) and registered to vote at their campus address are in Ward 2 and will vote on Election Day at:

  • Dorothy Hart Community Center, 408 Canal St., Fredericksburg VA 22401

Students living across the street from campus in the College Heights Neighborhood are in Ward 3 and and will vote on Election Day at:

  • Gladys West Elementary School, 1 Learning Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

4. Do you live “off campus”, but in the City of Fredericksburg?

If you are registered to vote at your “off campus” address (not in residence halls), find your Election Day polling place through the Virginia Department of Elections. Take note of where you are registered and what your residence address is.

5. Are you registered to vote at your parents’ address (your home address)?

Find your Election Day polling place through the Virginia Department of Elections. Take note of where you are registered and what your residence address is. Most classes are cancelled on Election Day so you may have time to drive home to vote.

6. Thank you!

Thank you for being a voter. Our democracy works best when everyone participates!

 

Community Engagement