Below are some common and not so common questions we receive from West Virginia voters. Don't see an answer to your question here? Reach out to us at [email protected] and we'll do our best to find an answer for you.
Can I vote in West Virginia?
• You can vote in the Nov. 3 election if you’re registered to vote by October 13, 2020.
• You can register to vote if you meet all of the following qualifications: (1) You are a US citizen and a WV resident; (2) You will be 18 by the time of the election; (3) You are not currently serving a sentence, or parole or probation for a felony, bribery in an election, or treason.
What if I’ve been convicted of a crime?
• If you were convicted of a misdemeanor you can vote, even if you are in jail.
• If you were convicted of a felony, bribery in an election, or treason, you cannot vote while you are serving your sentence, including probation or parole.
• If you have been charged with a crime, but not convicted, you can vote.
What if I’ve moved or changed my name?
• You have to re-register every time you move or change your name.
• If you moved or changed your name before Oct. 13, 2020 you can vote normally if you moved within the same precinct. You can vote provisionally if you moved within the same county. If you moved outside your county and did not re-register to vote you won’t be able to vote in the November 3 election.
• If you moved after October 13, 2020, call your County Clerk’s Office as soon as possible to find out where to vote.
How do I know if I’m registered?
• You can check your registration status online at https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/AmIRegisteredToVote, or by calling your County Clerk’s Office.
• You can register to vote:
in person, by filling out a voter registration application at your county clerk’s office;
by mail, by filling out a mail-in voter registration application and mailing it to your county clerk’s office;
online, by filling out a voter registration form at https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register;
when you apply for services at the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and state agencies that provide public assistance (such as Medicaid, WIC, and food stamps) or services to people with disabilities. You may also register at marriage license offices and military recruitment offices.
• You can get a mail-in voter registration application from the Secretary of State’s office, your county clerk’s office, from most libraries, colleges, and high schools, by calling 304-558-6000, or online at https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register#Qualifications
What if I miss the deadline?
• You won’t be able to vote in the Nov. 3 election, but you can register to vote for future elections.
• Contact your County Clerk for the location and hours of an early voting center near you.
Can I vote absentee?
• In the 2020 election all voters may use Covid-19 as a medical excuse to vote by absentee ballot. Voters must request an absentee ballot.
How do I get an absentee ballot?
• Ballot applications will NOT be mailed to all voters for the 2020 general election.
• Applications must be received no later than Oct. 28, 2020.
• You can fill out an application online at gowvotewv.com, or you can get an application from your County Clerk’s office, or by downloading one at http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/forms/Documents/Forms%20-%20Voter/Absent...,. If your application is approved, your ballot will be mailed to you.
How do I know if my absentee ballot has been counted?
• You can check the status of your ballot by contacting your county clerk, or online at: https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/AbsenteeBallotTracking
What’s the deadline for returning my absentee ballot?
• To be counted, your ballot must be postmarked no later than election day and received by your County Clerk’s office no later than five days after the election, excluding Sundays.
When is Election Day?
• Tuesday, Nov. 3.
When are the polls open?
• Polling places are open from 6:30 AM through 7:30 PM. You have the right to vote if you’re in line or inside your polling place when the polls close.
Can I get time off from work to vote?
• West Virginia law requires employers to give employees up to 3 hours of paid time on Election Day to vote. Employees must request this time 3 days before the election. Certain essential employees may be given time off during early voting instead of on election day.
Where do I vote?
• On Election Day, you have to vote at the polling place to which you’re assigned.
• Your assigned polling place will be listed on the voter registration card that you should receive in the mail when you register.
• If you do not have your card, you can call your local elections office or look up your polling place online at: https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/FindMyPollingPlace.
What if I am disabled and my polling place is not accessible?
• If you find this out before Election Day, call your County Clerk right away and ask for an accommodation. You must request a reassignment no later than 30 days prior to the election.
• You can also send someone into the polling place to request curbside voting on your behalf. Poll workers will bring a ballot or voting machine outside so you can vote.
• Otherwise, bring one or more people to assist you. You have the right to have anyone you choose assist you, as long as the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, an officer or agent of your labor union, or the judge of elections.
What if I need help in the voting booth?
• If you need help because of a physical disability or because you can’t read the ballot, tell a poll worker when you get to your polling place. You have the right to vote on an accessible voting machine. You also have the right to have anyone you choose assist you in the voting booth, including a poll worker, as long as the person is not your employer, and agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your labor union.
• If you need language assistance, bring an interpreter with you to the polls. You have a right to bring an interpreter with you to communicate with poll workers and translate the ballot.
• If you need instructions on how to use the voting equipment, ask a poll worker for help. Poll workers are required to help you at any time you ask – even after you have entered the voting booth.
What if I cannot go to my polling place?
• If you are hospitalized, or a poll worker, and in some counties if you are a new resident to a hospital or nursing home you can apply for an emergency absentee ballot. You can apply 7 days before the election up to noon of Election Day. In that case, two election workers will deliver a ballot to you.
Do I have to show ID?
• Yes. As of July 1, 2017, you need to show an ID to vote.
What if I don’t have any ID?
• A poll worker who knows you can allow you to vote. Alternatively, a person who can show their photo ID and has known you for at least 6 months can sign a sworn statement saying you are who you claim to be. You may be required to respond to a mailing confirming that you voted.
What is a provisional ballot?
• A provisional ballot is used to record your vote when there’s an unresolved question about your eligibility.
Will my provisional ballot be counted?
• Your provisional ballot will only be counted if election officials determine after the election that you were eligible to vote. Most provisional ballots aren’t counted, and you should use one only if there’s no way for you to vote on a regular ballot.