Primary election: May 13
General election: Nov. 4
Polling hours: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
You are eligible to register to vote in West Virginia if you are:
In person: Register at a registration office listed below. Bring proof of physical address (i.e. driver's license; utility bill; bank statement; paycheck; and other government document).
By mail: Request an application from your county clerk or the Secretary of State, or download a mail-in registration form from the Secretary of State Web site at http://www.wvsos.com/elections/voters/registernow.htm. If you registered by mail, remember to take your driver's license or other ID and proof of age to the polls the first time you vote.
Updating your registration: If you move within your county or change your name, update your registration in one of these ways:
May 13 Primary Election: April 22
Nov. 4 General Election: Oct. 14
If you registered by mail, remember to take your driver's license or other ID and proof of age to the polls the first time you vote.
If you are uncertain about your polling place location, check with your County Clerk. Your voter registration record can be checked to make sure you are registered at your current address, and the clerk can tell you where your polling place is located.
When you register to vote in West Virginia, you may indicate a political party choice on the application to register, or you may check "No Party Affiliation."
If the party you prefer is listed, you may check the box beside that name and you will registered in that party. If the party your prefer is not listed, you may enter another party name on the line next to "Other Party." It is permissible to enter the name of any political party, regardless of whether the party is active in West Virginia. If you do not want to be associated with any political party, checking "No Party Affiliation" will make your registration independent of all parties.
The important thing to remember is that your choice will affect your options for voting for partisan candidates in the Primary Election, when parties make their nominations. Also, if you ever decide to run for office, you may only file for nomination in a party in which you are registered.
West Virginia has a "closed" primary, which means that people registered in one party cannot vote for candidates in another party. At the Primary Election, if you have listed a party choice on your voter registration, you will be given the ballot of that party. You will not have the right to receive the ballot of a different party.
If you register with no party affiliation, you will be given a non-partisan ballot (for Board of Education and any issues on the ballot) in the Primary Election. The political parties have the right to decide who may participate in their nominating processes. The Republican, Mountain or Democratic Party allow any voter who is not registered with an official party to vote in their Primary Election.
A party change must be filed by the close of registration (21 days) before a primary election for you to be eligible to vote the new party's ballot in the primary.
On Jan. 2, county clerks started accepting applications for absentee ballots from military and overseas voters. For all others, applications for absentee ballots can be submitted to your county clerk from Feb. 19 to May 7. May 7 is the last day for the clerk to receive absentee ballot applications in order for ballot to be mailed. Faxed applications accepted if fax number available but original must be mailed back with voted ballot.
Deadlines for returning completed absentee ballots in the Primary Election:
May 12: Last day hand-delivered absentee ballot by mail may be accepted by clerk.
May 14: Last day absentee ballots without postmarks or shipping date marks received by mail or express delivery may be accepted for counting, except:
May 16 at start of canvass: Last time absentee ballots from military or overseas voters without postmarks or shipping date marks received by mail or express delivery may be accepted for counting.
May 16 at start of canvass: Last time absentee ballots with postmarks or shipping dates by election day received by mail of express delivery may be accepted for counting.
The period is from May 6 to noon May 13. Voters admitted on or after May 2, 2008, to a hospital or other licensed health-care facility within area served as a result of an emergency may request emergency absentee ballot.
Applications for absentee ballot by mail accepted from voters eligible to vote absentee by mail if received by clerk from Aug. 12 to Oct. 29, which is the last day for clerk to receive absentee ballot application in order for ballot to be mailed. Faxed applications accepted if fax number available, but original must be mailed back with voted ballot.
Deadlines for returning completed absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 General Election:
Nov. 6: Last day hand-delivered absentee ballot by mail may be accepted by clerk.
Nov. 5: Last day absentee ballots without postmarks or shipping date marks received by mail or express delivery may be accepted for counting, except:
Nov. 10 at start of canvass: Last time absentee ballots from military or overseas voters without postmarks or shipping date marks received by mail or express delivery may be accepted for counting.
Nov. 10 at start of canvass: Last time absentee ballots with postmarks or shipping dates by election day received by mail of express delivery may be accepted for counting.
From Oct. 28 to noon Nov. 3, voters admitted on or after Oct. 28, 2008, to a hospital or other licensed health-care facility within area served as a result of an emergency may request emergency absentee ballot.
April 23-May 10: Any registered voter may vote in person in the county clerk office or area designated in the county courthouse for the Primary Election.
Oct. 15-Nov. 1: Any registered voter may vote in person in the office of the county clerk or area designated in the county courthouse for the General Election.
