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West Virginia | Voting Guide
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 21 days before Election Day.
For more information on upcoming 2023 municipal elections, please contact your municipal elections officials or visit: sos.wv.gov/FormSearch/Elections/Municipal%20Elections/June%20Municipal%20Election%20Calendar1.pdf
Official Election Websites
More election information at: https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/GoVoteWV.aspx.
Online voter registration available at: ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register/Landing.
Mail-In PDF Registration Form available at: sos.wv.gov/FormSearch/Elections/Voter/mail%20in%20voter%20registration%20appl
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
Voters who appear to vote in person during the early voting period or on Election Day must present voter ID. Your ID cannot be expired.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by an institution of higher education in West Virginia, or a valid high school identification card issued by a West Virginia high school
A document with your name on it from the U.S. government, state of West Virginia, or a town or city within West Virginia
A driver’s license or state ID from West Virginia
A valid driver’s license from a state other than West Virginia
A U.S. passport
A valid Social Security card
A valid West Virginia voter registration card
A valid bank, debit, or health insurance card
A valid West Virginia SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid card
A valid military identification card with a photograph of the voter
A valid utility bill or bank statement issued within the 6 months before the election.
A valid concealed carry permit issued by the Sheriff of the county with a photograph of the voter
Instead of providing a valid identifying document, a registered voter may be accompanied to the polling place by an adult who will sign an affidavit affirming the voter’s identity and that they have known the voter for at least six months. To be valid, the adult must present a valid identifying document with their name, address, and photograph on it.
More information and a full list of acceptable forms of ID and exceptions is available at:
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Voters who appear to vote in person during the early voting period or on Election Day must present voter ID. Your ID cannot be expired.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by an institution of higher education in West Virginia, or a valid high school identification card issued by a West Virginia high school
A document with your name on it from the U.S. government, state of West Virginia, or a town or city within West Virginia
A driver’s license or state ID from West Virginia
A valid driver’s license from a state other than West Virginia
A U.S. passport
A valid Social Security card
A valid West Virginia voter registration card
A valid bank, credit, or health insurance card
A valid SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid card
A valid military identification card with a photograph of the voter
A valid utility bill or bank statement issued within the 6 months before the election.
More information and a full list of acceptable forms of ID and exceptions is available at:
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at: apps.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/FindMyPollingPlace
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
West Virginia allows voters to vote absentee by mail with an excuse. You can request your absentee ballot online or through a paper application.
Voters are eligible to cast an absentee ballot due to:
Attendance at college or other place of education or training outside the voter's county of registration
Illness, injury, or other medical reason
Immobility due to disability or advanced age
Incarceration or home detention, not pursuant to a felony conviction
Work hours or distance from the county seat that make it impossible to vote in person
Participation in the Address Confidentiality Program
An inaccessible early voting site and polling place
Personal or business travel
Temporary residency outside the voter’s county of registration
Service as an elected or appointed state or federal official
Track your absentee ballot at:
apps.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/AbsenteeBallotTracking.
Applications can be submitted by mail, email, fax, or in person and must be received by the clerk by the 6th day before an election.
Completed ballots returned in person to the county clerk's office must be received by the day before Election Day, and if returned by mail, then ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the start of the canvass of ballots.
Voters with disabilities may receive, mark, and return their ballots electronically. For more information, visit:
sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/DisabledVotersEVoting.aspx.
Early In-Person
All registered voters may vote early in-person at their county courthouse (or any other designated location). Early voting begins on the 13th day before Election Day and continues until 3 days before Election Day.
Check with your county clerk’s office for specific location and times.
Election Day
Voting sites will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. If you are in line by the time polls close, then you have a right to vote.
Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in West Virginia affect my driver’s license or car registration?
As a new resident of West Virginia, you may need to obtain a West Virginia driver's license and update your car's registration, regardless of whether your register to vote there. You may wish to contact the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed West Virginia legal professional.
Last updated May 2023