Elections Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Primary Election: Tuesday, May 8, 2018

General Election: Tuesday, November 6, 2018

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Primary Election Early Voting Period: from April 27 to May 7, 2016 at your county courthouse or judicial annex. Contact your County Clerk to confirm Early Voting hours and locations.

Primary Election Day: May 10, 2016, from 6:30AM to 7:30PM. Find your polling place.

General Election Early Voting Period: October 26 to November 5, 2016 at your county courthouse or judicial annex. Please contact your County Clerk to confirm Early Voting hours and locations.

General Election Day: November 8, 2016, from 6:30AM to 7:30PM. Find your polling place.

Remember that on Election Day you must vote at your assigned polling location. If the polling place is not accessible to you because of a disability, contact your County Clerk as soon as possible to arrange for voting at another location.

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1. You will check in with the poll workers at the registration table (there may be a line).
2. The poll worker will ask you to state your name and address, and they will search their list of registered voters for your name.
• If you are a first-time voter, the poll workers may ask for your identification: What documents are accepted?

• Valid photo identification
• Utility bill
• Bank statement
• Government check
• Paycheck
• Any other official government document

• A poll worker may ask you to vote a provisional ballot if for some reason they do not find you eligible to vote. For example, if your name is not showing on their list of voters, they will ask you to vote a provisional ballot. This way, the voter registration office can check their records to make you are properly registered, and if you are, your vote will count.
3. The poll worker will show your name and address on the list of voters. He or she will then ask you to verify your information and sign. If your name or address has changed, you may update this information. If you have moved outside of your precinct but in the same county, you should call the County Clerk's Office to find out your new polling place. Your vote may not count if you vote in the wrong polling place on Election Day.
4. A poll worker will take you to the voting booth where you will vote your ballot. Different counties have different methods of voting: learn about your county's voting system.
• Voters with disabilities may learn about their voting opportunities here.

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A poll worker may ask you to vote a provisional ballot if for some reason they do not find you eligible to vote. For example, if your name is not showing on their list of voters, they will ask you to vote a provisional ballot. This way, the voter registration office can check their records to make you are properly registered, and if you are, your vote will count.

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View a candidate listing by office for the 2018 election.

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Find who is currently serving in federal, state, legislative and judicial offices, along with their term information, here(need link and content).

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During statewide elections, all polling places in West Virginia have at least one voting machine that is accessible to voters with disabilities. During county-wide elections, there must be at least one accessible voting machine available in the county. If your polling location is not accessible to you, contact your County Clerk. Learn more about voting with disabilities.

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Yes, you may bring someone to assist you or two poll workers can help you vote your ballot. Reasons for receiving assistance in voting include blindness, disability, advanced age, or the inability to read and write. Just ask your poll worker.

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If you cannot make it to your polling place during Early Voting or on Election day, you may be able to vote by mail: learn more about absentee voting (need link and content).

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Uniformed service members on active duty inside or outside of the United States, their spouses and dependents, and citizens residing outside of the United States that consider West Virginia their last place of residence may vote by mail or electronically. You may start applying for a ballot beginning January first of each election year. Visit our military and overseas voting page (need link and content) to download an application and learn more about your voting opportunities.

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If you are in the hospital on Election Day, two election officials can bring you an emergency absentee ballot. You or a family member should contact your County Clerk no earlier than the 7th day before the election and no later than noon election day. Some counties also allow a person who recently moved to a nursing home to vote an emergency absentee ballot. Application for Voting an Emergency Absent Voter's Ballot.

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If you are a participant in the Address Confidentiality Program, you may apply to your County Clerk to receive a ballot for every election: learn more (need link and content.

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If you have a permanent, physical disability that prevents you from going to the polling place, you may apply to your County Clerk to receive a ballot by mail for every election: learn more (need link and content.

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Your County Clerk begins mailing ballots by the 46th day before the election.

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Your County Clerk must receive your application by the sixth day before the election.

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If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked by Election Day and your County Clerk must receive it by the start of canvass (five days after the election, excluding Sundays). If you or someone else hand-delivers your ballot, your County Clerk must receive it by the day before the election.

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You may use our web application to find out the status of your ballot.

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A political party becomes recognized in West Virginia when its candidate for governor receives at least one percent of votes cast for governor in previous general election (WV Code §3-1-8). We now have four recognized political parties:

• Democratic - www.wvdemocrats.com
• Libertarian - www.lpwv.org
• Mountain - www.mountainpartywv.com
• Republican - www.wvgop.org

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Recognized political parties may nominate candidates for the general election in the primary election or by convention. Everyone else may only appear on the general election ballot by collecting signatures. Recognized political parties also elect people to form executive committees.

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The primary election is an election for the recognized political parties to nominate candidates for offices on the general election ballot. We also elect judges, party executive committee members, board of education members, and soil conservation supervisors in the primary election. A party may also choose to hold a convention to nominate candidates instead of by the primary election. You should contact your political party to find out how they choose to nominate their candidates.

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No, you may register as any political party or with no party. Just check “other” on your voter registration form and write in your party or check “unaffiliated” if you do not wish to register with a party.

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People often call political parties that have not gained recognized status minor, independent, or third party.

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A person may run for office as a political party that does not have recognized status or as no party by collecting signatures to appear on the general election ballot.

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You may register in a political party when you register to vote. On the voter registration form, check the box beside the party you want or check “other” and write in your party. If you do not want to register with a party, check the box beside “unaffiliated.”

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As a voter, your political party makes a difference when you vote in the primary election because it determines which ballot you may receive. If you are registered with one of the four recognized political parties (Democratic, Libertarian, Mountain, or Republican), you may only vote that party’s ballot or the non-partisan ballot. If you are registered with any other party or with no party, you may ask the poll worker for one of the recognized party’s ballots, or they will give you the non-partisan ballot.

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Not always. The recognized political parties may also nominate candidates for the general by convention. For example, in 2014 the Libertarian Party hosted their nominating convention on March 8 rather than participating in the primary election. For this reason, voters registered as Libertarian received a non-partisan ballot in the primary election.

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No, every registered voter receives the same ballot in the general election. You will have the chance to vote for candidates from all of the political parties.

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You may change your political party by completing a new voter registration application.

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You may change your political party on your voter registration at anytime, but keep in mind that your political party matters at the primary election. For your new party to apply at the next primary election, you must make your change at least 21 days before the election. If you make the change later, it will apply at the next primary election.

There are more rules for candidates. If you want to file for nomination as a candidate in the Democratic, Libertarian, Mountain, or Republican parties, you must register as that party no less than 60 days before filing.