WEST VIRGINIA

Voter Registration Deadline: 21 days before Election Day.

More information regarding important dates and deadlines is available at https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/GoVoteWV.aspx.

2026 Election Information

Primary Election: May 12, 2026

• Voter Registration Deadline: April 21, 2026
• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: May 6, 2026
• Early In-Person Voting Period: April 29, 2026 through May 9, 2026

General Election: November 3, 2026

• Voter Registration Deadline: October 13, 2026
• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: October 28, 2026
• Early In-Person Voting Period: October 21, 2026 through October 31, 2026

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

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.

Online Registration: If you register online, you must provide your West Virginia driver’s license or ID number and the last four digits of your Social Security number. 

Paper Registration Form: West Virginia’s paper voter registration form asks for your West Virginia driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it. 

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 and photo 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 West Virginia voter registration card that includes the voter’s photograph
• A valid military identification card with a photograph of the voter

More information and a full list of acceptable forms of ID and exceptions is available at:

https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/BeReg.aspx.

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 due to service as an elected or appointed state or federal official or serving in any other documented employment assignment of specific duration of four years or less

Track your absentee ballot at: apps.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/AbsenteeBallotTracking.

• Absentee Ballot Application Deadline: 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 Absentee Ballot Return Deadline: 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. It is conducted during regular business hours as well as from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturdays during the early voting period.

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.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my 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.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my 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.

Does Registering to Vote impact my 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.