Source: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=03&art=5
Timestamp: 2016-09-29 10:22:16
Document Index: 134548330

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WV Code Chapter 03 Article 5 skip navigation
WVC -5- ARTICLE 5. PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND NOMINATING PROCEDURES.
WVC 3-5-1 §3-5-1. Time and place of holding primary elections in the year
one thousand nine hundred eighty and thereafter; hours
Primary elections shall be held at the voting place in each of
the voting precincts in the state, for the purposes set forth in
this article, on the second Tuesday in May in the year one thousand
nine hundred eighty-six and in each second year thereafter.
At such election the polls shall be opened and closed at the
hours provided for opening and closing the polls in a general
WVC 3-5-1a §3-5-1a. Time and place of holding primary elections held in the
year one thousand nine hundred seventy-eight; hours
The primary election held in the year one thousand nine
hundred seventy-eight shall be held at the voting place in each of
nine hundred seventy-eight.
WVC 3 - 5 - 2 §3-5-2. Delegates to national conventions; alternate delegates.
(a) At the primary election to be held in the year one
thousand nine hundred ninety-two, and in each fourth year
thereafter, there shall be elected by the voters of each political
party of the state, in accordance with a plan adopted by the state
party, persons to be delegates to the national convention of the
party to be held next after the date of such primary.
(b) The plan adopted by each political party of the state
shall state the method, subject to compliance with their national
party rules and not inconsistent with the provisions of this
chapter, for the election of persons in each congressional district
of the state as delegates to the national convention of the party,
for the election or selection of persons in each congressional
district of the state as alternate delegates to the national
convention of the party and for the selection of all remaining
delegates and alternate delegates allocated to the party in their
national convention. Not less than one hundred twenty days before
the primary election to be held in the year one thousand nine
hundred ninety-two, and in every fourth year thereafter, the
governing body of each political party of the state shall certify
the plan adopted by the party under signature of the state party
chairman and file the plan with the secretary of state. Any
questions regarding whether such plan was rightfully adopted by the
party shall be resolved by the party based upon party rules.
(c) The plan adopted by each political party of the state shall, to the extent permissible under their national party rules,
provide for the following:
(1) The voters of each political party shall elect in each
congressional district the number of persons as delegates to the
national convention of the party to which the district is entitled.
(2) If the rules of the national political party do not
require the apportionment of delegates on the basis of their
commitment for president, the persons receiving the highest number
of votes as delegates in any congressional district to the number
to which the district is entitled, shall be elected delegates. After the election of delegates in each congressional district to
the number to which the district is entitled, the persons receiving
the next highest votes in each congressional district and having
qualified, as may be provided in the plan adopted by the party,
shall be elected as alternate delegates to the number of alternate
delegates to which the district is entitled.
(3) If the rules of the national political party require that
the percentage of votes cast for the various presidential
candidates determine the apportionment of committed candidates to
be elected as delegates or alternates, regardless of whether such
committed candidates received the highest number of votes, then the
plan adopted by the political party of the state shall prescribe
the number of delegates and alternates to be elected under such
apportionment, the method by which the apportionment shall be made,
and the method by which the secretary of state shall determine which delegates and alternates are elected. A committed candidate
for delegate to national convention is one whose preference for
particular presidential candidate appears on the ballot.
(4) In the event the number of persons elected in the primary
election in a congressional district is less than the number to
which the district is entitled as delegates and alternate delegates
to the national convention of the political party, the governing
body of the political party of the state shall appoint persons from
the congressional district to serve as delegates or alternate
delegates to the national convention of the party unless the rules
of the party otherwise provide.
(5) The number of persons which each of the congressional
districts in the state are entitled to elect as delegates to the
national convention of the political party shall be apportioned
among the congressional districts in the same proportion to the
total number of delegates to the party's national convention
elected in all congressional districts in the state as the
population of the congressional district bears to the total
population of the state based upon the census of population taken
by the bureau of the census of the United States department of
commerce in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety, and in every
tenth year thereafter.
(d) The official primary ballot at the primary election to be
held in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, and in every
fourth year thereafter shall, following the names of all candidates for delegates to the national convention of the party, contain the
words "For election in accordance with the plan adopted by the
party and filed with the secretary of state."
(e) Unless and until a political party of the state has
adopted and certified a plan for the election of delegates to the
national convention of the party and filed the plan with the
secretary of state, there shall be elected by the voters of the
political party of the state at the primary election to be held in
the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, and in each fourth
year thereafter, the number of persons to which the party is
entitled as delegates-at-large, and by the voters of each political
party in each congressional district in the state the number of
delegates to which the district is entitled. The persons receiving the highest number of votes in the state as delegates-at-large, to
the number to which the state is entitled, shall be elected
delegates. The persons receiving the highest number of votes as
delegates in any congressional district, to the number to which the
district is entitled, shall be elected delegates. Each delegate so
elected shall then appoint an individual to serve as alternate
delegate, and shall by registered letter notify the secretary of
state of such appointment within forty days after the primary
WVC 3-5-3 §3-5-3. Presidential preference.
In presidential election years, in addition to the candidates
required to be nominated at the primary election, the qualified
voters of each political party shall have the opportunity of voting
for their choice among those aspiring to be the candidates of their
respective parties for president of the United States. The names
of such aspirants shall be printed on the official election ballot
of their respective parties, as provided in section thirteen of
this article, upon the filing with the secretary of state of the
certificate of announcement as provided in section seven of this
article and the filing fee or petition in lieu of filing fee as
provided in sections eight and eight-a of this article, and the
ballot shall be marked and the vote shall be counted, canvassed and
returned under the same conditions as to names, certificates and
other matters, as the names and certificates of the party aspirants
for the party nomination for the office of governor.
WVC 3 - 5 - 4 §3-5-4. Nomination of candidates in primary elections.
(a) At each primary election, the candidate or candidates of
each political party for all offices to be filled at the ensuing
general election by the voters of the entire state, of each
congressional district, of each state senatorial district, of each
delegate district, and of each county in the state shall be
nominated by the voters of the different political parties, except
that no presidential elector shall be nominated at a primary
(b) In primary elections a plurality of the votes cast shall
be sufficient for the nomination of candidates for office. Where
only one candidate of a political party for any office in a
political division, including party committeemen and delegates to
national conventions, is to be chosen the candidate receiving the
highest number of votes therefor in the primary election shall be
declared the party nominee for such office. Where two or more such
candidates are to be chosen in the primary election, the candidates
constituting the proper number to be so chosen who shall receive
the highest number of votes cast in the political division in which
they are candidates shall be declared the party nominees and
choices for such offices, except that:
(1) Candidates for the office of commissioner of the county
commission shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the
provisions of section ten, article nine of the Constitution of the
State of West Virginia and the requirements of section one-b, article one, chapter seven of this code;
(2) Members of county boards of education shall be elected at
primary elections in accordance with the provisions of sections
five and six of this article;
(3) Candidates for the House of Delegates shall be nominated
and elected in accordance with the residence restrictions provided
in section two, article two, chapter one of this code.
(c) In case of tie votes between candidates for party
nominations or elections in primary elections, the choice of the
political party shall be determined by the executive committee of
the party for the political division in which such persons are
WVC 3-5-5 §3-5-5.
WVC 3-5-6 §3-5-6. Election of county board of education members at primary
(a) An election for the purpose of electing members of the
county board of education shall be held on the same date as the
primary elections, as provided by law, but upon a nonpartisan
ballot printed for the purpose.
(b) No more than two members may be elected or serve from the
same magisterial district. The eligibility of candidates to be
declared elected for full terms of four years and for unexpired
terms of two or more years based on this limitation shall be
determined at the time of certification of the election.
(1) Such eligibility shall be based on the magisterial
district residence of incumbent members of the board whose terms
will continue beyond the first day of July following the primary
(A) No person is eligible to be declared elected who resides
in a district which has two such incumbent members.
(B) No more than one candidate is eligible to be declared
elected who resides in a district which has one such incumbent
(C) A person with the highest number of votes may be declared
elected to an unexpired term notwithstanding the fact that the
person's magisterial district has two representatives serving on
the board at the time of the election: Provided, That the number
of representatives from that magisterial district will be less than two as of the first day of July following the primary.
(2) The person declared elected to an unexpired term shall
assume the duties of a member of the board of education according
to the provisions of section two, article five, chapter eighteen of
(c) In each nonpartisan election for board of education the
board of canvassers shall:
(1) Declare and certify the election of the required number of
eligible candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes to fill
any full terms;
(2) Declare and certify the election of the required number of
eligible candidates receiving the next highest numbers of votes,
after all full terms are filled, to fill any unexpired terms.
(d) It is the intent of this statute that any person declared
to be elected under the preceding provisions of this section shall
take office as a duly elected member or members, even though the
person may not have received a majority or plurality of all votes
cast at such election.
(e) In case of a tie vote for a seat on a county board of
education in any primary election, the provisions of section
twelve, article six of this chapter shall control in breaking the
WVC 3 - 5 - 6 A
(a) An election for the purpose of electing a justice or
justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be held on the same
date as the primary election, as provided by law, upon a
nonpartisan ballot by division printed for this purpose. For
election purposes, in each election at which shall be elected more
than one justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, the election
shall be by numbered division corresponding to the number of
justices being elected. Each justice shall be elected at large
from the entire state. (b) In each nonpartisan election by
division for a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, the
candidates for election in each numbered division shall be tallied
separately, and the board of canvassers shall declare and certify
the election of the eligible candidate receiving the highest
numbers of votes cast within a numbered division to fill any full
(c) In case of a tie vote under this section, section twelve,
article six of this chapter controls in breaking the tie vote.
WVC 3 - 5 - 6 B
(a) An election for the purpose of electing a circuit court
judge or judges shall be held on the same date as the primary
election in their respective circuits, as provided by law, upon a
nonpartisan ballot by division printed for this purpose.
(b) In each nonpartisan election by division for a circuit
court judge, the candidates for election in each numbered division
shall be tallied separately, and the board of canvassers shall
declare and certify the election of the eligible candidate
receiving the highest numbers of votes cast within a numbered
division to fill any full terms.
WVC 3 - 5 - 6 C
(a) An election for the purpose of electing a family court
(b) In each nonpartisan election by division for a family
WVC 3 - 5 - 6 D
(a) An election for the purpose of electing a magistrate or
magistrates by division shall be held on the same date as the
primary election in their respective circuits, as provided by law,
upon a nonpartisan ballot by division printed for this purpose.
(b) In each nonpartisan election by division for a magistrate, the candidates for election in each numbered division shall be
tallied separately, and the board of canvassers shall declare and
certify the election of the eligible candidate receiving the
highest numbers of votes cast within a numbered division to fill
any full terms.
WVC 3 - 5 - 7 §3-5-7. Filing announcements of candidacies; requirements;
withdrawal of candidates when section applicable.
(a) Any person who is eligible and seeks to hold an office or
political party position to be filled by election in any primary or
general election held under the provisions of this chapter shall
file a certificate of announcement declaring his or her candidacy
for the nomination or election to the office.
(1) Candidates for the House of Delegates, the State Senate,
circuit judge, family court judge, and any other office or
political position to be filled by the voters of more than one
county shall file a certificate of announcement with the Secretary
(2) Candidates for an office or political position to be
filled by the voters of a single county or a subdivision of a
county, except for candidates for the House of Delegates, State
Senate, circuit judge or family court judge, shall file a
certificate of announcement with the clerk of the county
(3) Candidates for an office to be filled by the voters of a
municipality shall file a certificate of announcement with the
recorder or city clerk.
(c) The certificate of announcement shall be filed with the
proper officer not earlier than the second Monday in January before
the primary election day and not later than the last Saturday in January before the primary election day and must be received before
midnight, eastern standard time, of that day or, if mailed, shall
be postmarked by the United States Postal Service before that hour. This includes the offices of justice of the Supreme Court of
Appeals, circuit court judge, family court judge and magistrate,
which are to be filled on a nonpartisan and division basis at the
(d) The certificate of announcement shall be on a form
prescribed by the Secretary of State on which the candidate shall
make a sworn statement before a notary public or other officer
authorized to administer oaths, containing the following
(1) The date of the election in which the candidate seeks to
appear on the ballot;
(2) The name of the office sought; the district, if any; and
the division, if any;
(3) The legal name of the candidate and the exact name the
candidate desires to appear on the ballot, subject to limitations
prescribed in section thirteen, article five of this chapter;
(4) The county of residence and a statement that the candidate
is a legally qualified voter of that county; and the magisterial
district of residence for candidates elected from magisterial
districts or under magisterial district limitations;
(5) The specific address designating the location at which the
candidate resides at the time of filing, including number and street or rural route and box number and city, state and zip code;
(6) For partisan elections, the name of the candidate's
political party and a statement that the candidate: (A) Is a
member of and affiliated with that political party as evidenced by
the candidate's current registration as a voter affiliated with
that party; and (B) has not been registered as a voter affiliated
with any other political party for a period of sixty days before
the date of filing the announcement;
(7) For candidates for delegate to national convention, the
name of the presidential candidate to be listed on the ballot as
the preference of the candidate on the first convention ballot; or
a statement that the candidate prefers to remain "uncommitted";
(8) A statement that the person filing the certificate of
announcement is a candidate for the office in good faith;
(9) The words "subscribed and sworn to before me this ______
day of _____________, 20____" and a space for the signature of the
officer giving the oath.
(e) The Secretary of State or the board of ballot
commissioners, as the case may be, may refuse to certify the
candidacy or may remove the certification of the candidacy upon
receipt of a certified copy of the voter's registration record of
the candidate showing that the candidate was registered as a voter
in a party other than the one named in the certificate of
announcement during the sixty days immediately preceding the filing
of the certificate: Provided, That unless a signed formal complaint of violation of this section and the certified copy of
the voter's registration record of the candidate are filed with the
officer receiving that candidate's certificate of announcement no
later than ten days following the close of the filing period, the
candidate may not be refused certification for this reason.
(f) The certificate of announcement shall be subscribed and
sworn to by the candidate before some officer qualified to
administer oaths, who shall certify the same. Any person who
knowingly provides false information on the certificate is guilty
of false swearing and shall be punished in accordance with section
three, article nine of this chapter.
(g) Any candidate for delegate to a national convention may
change his or her statement of presidential preference by notifying
the Secretary of State by letter received by the Secretary of State
no later than the third Tuesday following the close of candidate
filing. When the rules of the political party allow each
presidential candidate to approve or reject candidates for delegate
to convention who may appear on the ballot as committed to that
presidential candidate, the presidential candidate or the
candidate's committee on his or her behalf may file a list of
approved or rejected candidates for delegate and the Secretary of
State shall list as "uncommitted" any candidate for delegate who is
disapproved by the presidential candidate.
(h) A person may not be a candidate for more than one office
or office division at any election: Provided, That a candidate for an office may also be a candidate for President of the United
States, for membership on political party executive committees or
for delegate to a political party national convention: Provided,
however, That an unsuccessful candidate for a nonpartisan office in
an election held concurrently with the primary election may be
appointed under the provisions of section nineteen of this article
to fill a vacancy on the general ballot.
(i) A candidate who files a certificate of announcement for
more than one office or division and does not withdraw, as provided
by section eleven, article five of this chapter, from all but one
office prior to the close of the filing period may not be certified
by the Secretary of State or placed on the ballot for any office by
the board of ballot commissioners.
WVC 3-5-8
§3-5-8. Filing fees and their disposition. (a) Every person who becomes a candidate for nomination for or election to office in any primary election shall, at the time of filing the certificate of announcement as required in this article, pay a filing fee as follows: (1) A candidate for president of the United States, for vice president of the United States, for United States Senator, for member of the United States House of Representatives, for Governor and for all other state elective offices shall pay a fee equivalent to one percent of the annual salary of the office for which the candidate announces: Provided, That the filing fee for any candidate for president or vice president of the United States shall not exceed $2,500 commencing with the 2004 filing period; (2) A candidate for the office of judge of a circuit court and judge of a family court shall pay a fee equivalent to one percent of the total annual salary of the office for which the candidate announces; (3) A candidate for member of the House of Delegates shall pay a fee of one-half percent of the total annual salary of the office and a candidate for state Senator shall pay a fee of one percent of the total annual salary of the office; (4) A candidate for sheriff, prosecuting attorney, circuit clerk, county clerk, assessor, member of the county commission and magistrate shall pay a fee equivalent to one percent of the annual salary, excluding any additional compensation or commission of the office for which the candidate announces. A candidate for county board of education shall pay a fee of $25. A candidate for any other county office shall pay a fee of $10; (5) Delegates to the national convention of any political party shall pay the following filing fees: (A) A candidate for delegate-at-large shall pay a fee of $20; and (B) A candidate for delegate from a congressional district shall pay a fee of $10; (6) Candidates for members of political executive committees and other political committees shall pay the following filing fees: (A) A candidate for member of a state executive committee of any political party shall pay a fee of $20; (B) A candidate for member of a county executive committee of any political party shall pay a fee of $10; and (C) A candidate for member of a congressional, senatorial or delegate district committee of any political party shall pay a fee of $5. (b) Candidates shall pay the filing fee to the election official with whom the certificate of announcement is filed according to the provisions of section seven of this article at the time of filing their certificates of announcement and no certificate of announcement shall be received until the filing fee is paid. (c) All moneys received by the clerk from the fees shall be credited to the general county fund. Moneys received by the Secretary of State from fees paid by candidates for offices to be filled by all the voters of the state shall be deposited in a special fund for that purpose and shall be apportioned and paid by him or her to the several counties on the basis of population and that received from candidates from a district or judicial circuit of more than one county shall be apportioned to the counties comprising the district or judicial circuit in like manner. When such moneys are received by sheriffs it shall be credited to the general county fund. Moneys received by the Secretary of State from fees paid by candidates for judicial or legislative offices to be filled by the voters of one county shall be apportioned to the county in which the boundaries of the district lie. WVC 3 - 5 - 8 A
§3-5-8a. Nominating petitions as alternatives to filing fees; oath
of impecuniosity required; petition in lieu of payment
of filing fee.
A candidate seeking nomination to any office who is unable to
pay the filing fee may qualify through the following petition
process in lieu of payment of the filing fee.
The candidate shall file an oath with the appropriate office
required under section eight of this article stating that he or she
is unable to pay the filing fee due to a lack of financial
resources. Such oath shall be filed not earlier than the second
Monday in January next preceding the primary election day.
Upon receipt of the written oath the receiving officer shall
provide the candidate with in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition forms and
instructions on gathering the required signatures. The number of
required signatures shall be four qualified voters for each whole
dollar of the filing fee: Provided, That the filing fee shall be
waived, in whole and not in part. Only signatures of voters
registered in the county, district or other political division
represented by the office sought may be solicited. Solicitors of
signatures shall also be residents of the county, district or other
geographical entity represented by the office sought: Provided,
however, That for offices to be filled by the voters of more than
one county, separate petition forms shall be used for the
signatures of qualified voters from each county.
The candidate may submit a greater number of signatures to
allow for subsequent losses due to invalidity of some signatures. The clerk of the county commission may not be required to determine
the validity of a greater number of signatures than that required
Signatures obtained on an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition shall
not be counted toward the number of voters required to sign a
nomination certificate in accordance with section twenty-three of
The candidate shall file all in-lieu-of-filing-fee petitions
with the required number of valid signatures with the clerk of the
county commission or Secretary of State, as the case may be, not
later than the last date required by law for filing declarations of
candidacies and payment of the filing fee.
The oath and forms required by this section shall be
prescribed by the Secretary of State.
WVC 3 - 5 - 9 §3-5-9. Certification and posting of candidacies.
By the eighty-fourth day next preceding the day fixed for the
primary election, the Secretary of State shall arrange the names of
all candidates, who have filed announcements with him or her, as
provided in this article, and who are entitled to have their names
printed on any political party ballot, in accordance with the
provisions of this chapter, and shall forthwith certify the same
under his or her name and the lesser seal of the state, and file
the same in his or her office.
The certificate of candidates shall show: (1) The name and
residence of each candidate; (2) the office for which he or she is
a candidate; (3) the name of the political party of which he or she
is a candidate; (4) upon what ballot his or her name is to be
printed; and (5) in the case of a candidate for delegate to the
national convention of any political party, the name of the person
the candidate prefers as the presidential nominee of his or her
party, or if he or she has no preference, the word "uncommitted".
The Secretary of State shall post a duplicate of the
certificate in a conspicuous place in his or her office and keep
same posted until after the primary election.
Immediately upon completion of such certification, the
Secretary of State shall ascertain therefrom the candidates whose
names are to appear on the primary election ballots in the several
counties of the state and shall certify to the clerk of the county
commission in each county the certificate information relating to each of the candidates whose names are to appear on the ballot in
that county. He or she shall transmit the certificate to the
several clerks by registered or certified mail, but, in emergency
cases, he may resort to other reliable and speedy means of
transmission which may be available so that such certificates shall
reach the several clerks by the seventieth day next preceding such
The provisions of this section shall apply to the primary
election held in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-six and
every primary election held thereafter.
WVC 3 - 5 - 10 §3-5-10. Publication of sample ballots and lists of candidates.
(a) The ballot commissioners of each county shall prepare a
sample official primary ballot for each party and, as the case may
be, for the nonpartisan candidates to be voted for at the primary
election, according to the provisions of this article and articles
four and four-a of this chapter, as appropriate to the voting
system. If any ballot issue is to be voted on in the primary
election, the ballot commissioners shall likewise prepare a sample
official ballot for that issue according to the provisions of law
authorizing the election.
(b) The facsimile sample ballot for each political party and
for nonpartisan candidates or ballot issues shall be published as
(1) For counties in which two or more qualified newspapers
publish a daily newspaper, not more than twenty-six nor less than
twenty days preceding the primary election, the ballot
commissioners shall publish each sample official primary election
ballot as a Class I-0 legal advertisement in the two qualified
daily newspapers of different political parties within the county
having the largest circulation in compliance with the provisions of
article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code;
(2) For counties having no more than one daily newspaper, or
having only one or more qualified newspapers which publish weekly,
not more than twenty-six nor less than twenty days preceding the
primary election, the ballot commissioners shall publish the sample official primary election ballot as a Class I legal advertisement
in the qualified newspaper within the county having the largest
circulation in compliance with the provisions of article three,
chapter fifty-nine of this code; and
(3) Each facsimile sample ballot shall be a photographic
reproduction of the official sample ballot or ballot pages and
shall be printed in a size no less than sixty-five percent of the
actual size of the ballot, at the discretion of the ballot
commissioners: Provided, That when the ballots for the precincts
within the county contain different senatorial, delegate,
magisterial or executive committee districts or when the ballots
for precincts within a city contain different municipal wards, the
facsimile shall be altered to include each of the various districts
in the appropriate order. If, in order to accommodate the size of
each ballot, the ballot or ballot pages must be divided onto more
than one page, the arrangement and order shall be made to conform
as nearly as possible to the arrangement of the ballot. The
publisher of the newspaper shall submit a proof of the ballot and
the arrangement to the ballot commissioners for approval prior to
(c) The ballot commissioners of each county shall prepare, in
the form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of State, an
official list of offices and candidates for each office which will
appear on the primary election ballot for each party and, as the
case may be, for the nonpartisan candidates to be voted for at the primary election. All information which appears on the ballot,
including instructions as to the number of candidates for whom
votes may be cast for the office, any additional language which
will appear on the ballot below the name of the office, any
identifying information relating to the candidates, such as his or
her residence and magisterial district or presidential preference,
shall be included in the list in the same order in which it appears
on the ballot. Following the names of all candidates, the list
shall include the full title, text and voting positions of any
issue to appear on the ballot.
(d) The official list of candidates and issues as provided in
subsection (c) of this section shall be published as follows:
publish a daily newspaper, on the last day on which a newspaper is
published immediately preceding the primary election, the ballot
commissioners shall publish the official list of candidates and
issues as a Class I-0 legal advertisement in the two qualified
on the last day on which a newspaper is published immediately
preceding the primary election, the ballot commissioners shall
publish the sample official list of nominees and issues as a Class I legal advertisement in the qualified newspaper within the county
(3) The publication of the official list of candidates for
each party and for nonpartisan candidates shall be in single or
double columns, as required to accommodate the type size
requirements as follows: (A) The words "official list of
candidates", the name of the county, the words "primary election",
the date of the election, the name of the political party or the
designation of nonpartisan candidates shall be printed in all
capital letters and in bold type no smaller than fourteen point. The designation of the national, state, district or other tickets
shall be printed in all capital letters in type no smaller than
fourteen point; (B) the title of the office shall be printed in
bold type no smaller than twelve point and any voting instructions
or other language printed below the title shall be printed in bold
type no smaller than ten point; and (C) the names of the candidates
shall be printed in all capital letters in bold type no smaller
than ten point and the residence information shall be printed in
type no smaller than ten point; and
(4) When any ballot issue is to appear on the ballot, the
title of that ballot shall be printed in all capital letters in
bold type no smaller than fourteen point. The text of the ballot
issue shall appear in no smaller than eight point type. The ballot
commissioners may require the publication of the ballot issue under this subsection in the facsimile sample ballot format in lieu of
the alternate format.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (c) and (d)
of this section, beginning with the primary election to be held in
the year two thousand, the ballot commissioners of any county may
choose to publish a facsimile sample ballot for each political
party and for nonpartisan candidates or ballot issues instead of
the official list of offices and candidates for each office for
purposes of the last publication required before any primary
WVC 3-5-11
§3-5-11. Withdrawals; filling vacancies in candidacy; publication. (a) A candidate who has filed a certificate of announcement and wishes to withdraw and decline to stand as a candidate for the office shall file a signed and notarized statement of withdrawal on a form provided by the Secretary of State with the same officer with whom the certificate of announcement was filed. If the notarized statement of withdrawal is received by the proper officer by the deadlines set forth in subsection (b) of this section then the candidate’s withdrawal is final and his or her name shall not be certified as a candidate nor printed on any ballot. If a candidate files a notarized statement of withdrawal after the deadlines set forth in subsection (b) of this section, the candidate shall not be withdrawn and the candidate’s name shall remain on the ballot. (b) Deadlines for withdrawing as a candidate: (1) For primary or special primary elections or nonpartisan elections held in conjunction with a primary election: The notarized statement of withdrawal must be received by the same officer with whom the certificate of announcement was filed by the close of business of that officer not later than the third Tuesday following the close of the candidate filing period. (2) For general or special general elections or nonpartisan elections held in conjunction with a general election: The notarized statement of withdrawal must be received by the same officer with whom the certificate of announcement was filed by the close of business of that officer not later than eighty-four days before the general election. (c) Upon request of the candidate's family, the board of ballot commissioners may remove the name of a candidate who dies before the ballots are printed. If a candidate dies after the ballots are printed but before the election, the clerk of the county commission shall give a written notice which shall be posted with the sample ballot at each precinct with the county to the following effect: “To the voter: (name) of (residence), a candidate for (office) is deceased.” (d) If after the time is closed for announcing as a candidate there is a vacancy on the ballot caused by failure of any person of a party to file for each available seat of each available office, the executive committee of the party for the political division within which such candidate was to be voted for, or its chair if the committee fails to act, may fill the vacancy and certify the candidate named to the appropriate filing officer. Certification of the appointment by the executive committee or its chair, the candidate's certificate of announcement and the filing fee must be received by the appropriate filing officer as follows: For an appointment by an executive committee, no later than the second Friday following the close of filing, for an appointment by its chair, no later than the third Tuesday following the close of filing. A candidate appointed to fill a vacancy on the ballot under this subsection shall have his or her name printed on the primary ballot for that party. WVC 3 - 5 - 12 §3-5-12. Official and sample ballots; color.
There shall be a separate ballot printed on different colored
paper for each political party participating in the primary
election and the ballot of no two parties may be of the same color
or tint. The Secretary of State shall select and determine the
color of the paper of the ballot of each of the parties, and shall
notify the clerk of the county commission of each county thereof,
at the time he or she certifies the names of the candidates of the
various parties to the clerk, as herein provided.
A different color of paper shall be selected and designated by
the Secretary of State for each party. The sample ballots of each
party shall be of a different color than the official ballot and of
a different color from one another. There shall be printed across
the face of such sample ballot in large letters the words "sample
ballot". No sample ballot shall be voted or counted in any
WVC 3 - 5 - 13 §3-5-13. Form and contents of ballots.
The following provisions apply to the form and contents of
election ballots:
(1) The face of every primary election ballot shall conform as
nearly as practicable to that used at the general election.
(2) The heading of every ballot is to be printed in display
type. The heading is to contain a ballot title, the name of the
county, the state, the words "Primary Election" and the month, day
and year of the election. The ballot title of the political party
ballots is to contain the words "Official Ballot of the (Name)
Party" and the official symbol of the political party may be
included in the heading.
(A) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion
of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all judicial officer
shall commence with the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of
Judicial Officers" and each such office shall be listed in the
(i) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion
of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all justices of the
Supreme Court of Appeals shall contain the words "Nonpartisan
Ballot of Election of Justice(s) of the Supreme Court of Appeals of
West Virginia". The names of the candidates for the Supreme Court
of Appeals shall be printed by division without references to
political party affiliation or registration.
(ii) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all circuit court
judges in the respective circuits shall contain the words
"Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Circuit Court Judge(s)". The
names of the candidates for the respective circuit court judge
office shall be printed by division without references to political
party affiliation or registration.
(iii) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion
of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all family court
"Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Family Court Judge(s)". The
names of the candidates for the respective family court judge
(iv) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion
of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all magistrates in
the respective circuits shall contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot
of Election of Magistrate(s)". The names of the candidates for the
respective magistrate office shall be printed by division without
references to political party affiliation or registration. (B) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion
of any electronic or voting machine ballot for the Board of
Education is to contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election
of Members of the ______________ County Board of Education". The
districts for which less than two candidates may be elected and the
number of available seats are to be specified and the names of the candidates are to be printed without reference to political party
affiliation and without designation as to a particular term of
office. (C) Any other ballot or portion of a ballot on a question is
to have a heading which clearly states the purpose of the election
according to the statutory requirements for that question.
(3) (A) For paper ballots, the heading of the ballot is to be
separated from the rest of the ballot by heavy lines and the
offices shall be arranged in columns with the following headings,
from left to right across the ballot: "National Ticket", "State
Ticket", "County Ticket" and, in a presidential election year,
"National Convention" or, in a nonpresidential election year,
"District Ticket". The columns are to be separated by heavy lines. Within the columns, the offices are to be arranged in the order
prescribed in section thirteen-a of this article.
(B) For voting machines, electronic voting devices and any
ballot tabulated by electronic means, the offices are to appear in
the same sequence as prescribed in section thirteen-a of this
article and under the same headings as prescribed in paragraph (A)
of this subdivision. The number of pages, columns or rows, where
applicable, may be modified to meet the limitations of ballot size
and composition requirements subject to approval by the Secretary
(C) The title of each office is to be separated from preceding
offices or candidates by a line and is to be printed in bold type no smaller than eight point. Below the office is to be printed the
number of the district, if any, the number of the division, if any,
and the words "Vote for ________" with the number to be nominated
or elected or "Vote For Not More Than ________" in multicandidate
elections. For offices in which there are limitations relating to
the number of candidates which may be nominated, elected or
appointed to or hold office at one time from a political
subdivision within the district or county in which they are
elected, there is to be a clear explanation of the limitation, as
prescribed by the Secretary of State, printed in bold type
immediately preceding the names of the candidates for those offices
on the ballot in every voting system. For counties in which the
number of county commissioners exceeds three and the total number
of members of the county commission is equal to the number of
magisterial districts within the county, the office of county
commission is to be listed separately for each district to be
filled with the name of the magisterial district and the words
"Vote for One" printed below the name of the office: Provided,
That the office title and applicable instructions may span the
width of the ballot so as it is centered among the respective
(D) The location for indicating the voter's choices on the
ballot is to be clearly shown. For paper ballots, other than those
tabulated electronically, the official primary ballot is to contain
a square formed in dark lines at the left of each name on the ballot, arranged in a perpendicular column of squares before each
column of names.
(4) (A) The name of every candidate certified by the Secretary
of State or the board of ballot commissioners is to be printed in
capital letters in no smaller than eight point type on the ballot
for the appropriate precincts. Subject to the rules promulgated by
the Secretary of State, the name of each candidate is to appear in
the form set out by the candidate on the certificate of
announcement, but in no case may the name misrepresent the identity
of the candidate nor may the name include any title, position,
rank, degree or nickname implying or inferring any status as a
member of a class or group or affiliation with any system of
(B) The city of residence of every candidate, the state of
residence of every candidate residing outside the state, the county
of residence of every candidate for an office on the ballot in more
than one county and the magisterial district of residence of every
candidate for an office subject to magisterial district limitations
are to be printed in lower case letters beneath the names of the
(C) The arrangement of names within each office must be
determined as prescribed in section thirteen-a of this article.
(D) If the number of candidates for an office exceeds the
space available on a column or ballot page and requires that
candidates for a single office be separated, to the extent possible, the number of candidates for the office on separate
columns or pages are to be nearly equal and clear instructions
given the voter that the candidates for the office are continued on
the following column or page.
(5) When an insufficient number of candidates has filed for a
party to make the number of nominations allowed for the office or
for the voters to elect sufficient members to the Board of
Education or to executive committees, the vacant positions on the
ballot shall be filled with the words "No Candidate Filed": Provided, That in paper ballot systems which allow for write-ins to
be made directly on the ballot, a blank line shall be placed in any
vacant position in the office of Board of Education or for election
to any party executive committee. A line shall separate each
candidate from every other candidate for the same office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if there are
multiple vacant positions on a ballot for one office, the multiple
vacant positions which would otherwise be filled with the words "No
Candidate Filed" may be replaced with a brief detailed description,
approved by the Secretary of State, indicating that there are no
candidates listed for the vacant positions.
(6) In presidential election years, the words "For election in
accordance with the plan adopted by the party and filed with the
Secretary of State" is to be printed following the names of all
candidates for delegate to national convention.
(7) All paper ballots are to be printed in black ink on paper sufficiently thick so that the printing or marking cannot be
discernible from the back: Provided, That no paper ballot voted
pursuant to the provisions of 42 U. S. C. §1973, et seq., the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986, or
federal write-in absentee ballot may be rejected due to paper type,
envelope type, or notarization requirement. Ballot cards and paper
for printing ballots using electronically sensible ink are to meet
minimum requirements of the tabulating systems and are to conform
in size and weight to ensure ease in tabulation.
(8) Ballots are to contain perforated tabs at the top of the
ballots and are to be printed with unique sequential numbers from
one to the highest number representing the total number of ballots
printed. On paper ballots, the ballot is to be bordered by a solid
line at least one sixteenth of an inch wide and the ballot is to be
trimmed to within one-half inch of that border.
(9) On the back of every official ballot or ballot card the
words "Official Ballot" with the name of the county and the date of
the election are to be printed. Beneath the date of the election
there are to be two blank lines followed by the words "Poll
(10) The face of sample paper ballots and sample ballot labels
are to be like other official ballots or ballot labels except that
the word "sample" is to be prominently printed across the front of
the ballot in a manner that ensures the names of candidates are not
obscured and the word "sample" may be printed in red ink. No printing may be placed on the back of the sample.
WVC 3 - 5 - 13 A
§3-5-13a. Order of offices and candidates on the ballot; uniform
drawing date.
(a) The order of offices for state and county elections on all
ballots within the state shall be as prescribed herein. When the
office does not appear on the ballot in an election, then it shall
be omitted from the sequence. When an unexpired term for an office
appears on the ballot along with a full term, the unexpired term
shall appear immediately below the full term.
NATIONAL TICKET: President (and Vice President in the general
election), United States Senator, member of the United States House
STATE TICKET: Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor,
Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture, Attorney General, State
Senator, member of the House of Delegates, any other multicounty
office, state executive committee.
COUNTY TICKET: Clerk of the circuit court, county
commissioner, clerk of the county commission, prosecuting attorney,
sheriff, assessor, surveyor, congressional district executive
committee, senatorial district executive committee in multicounty
districts, delegate district executive committee in multicounty
NATIONAL CONVENTION: Delegate to the national convention --
at-large, delegate to the national convention -- congressional
(b) Except for office divisions in which no more than one
person has filed a certificate of announcement, the arrangement of
names for all offices shall be determined by lot according to the
(1) On the fourth Tuesday following the close of the candidate
filing, beginning at nine o'clock a. m., a drawing by lot shall be
conducted in the office of the clerk of the county commission in
each county. Notice of the drawing shall be given on the form for
the certificate of announcement and no further notice shall be
required. The clerk of the county commission shall superintend and
conduct the drawing and the method of conducting the drawing shall
be prescribed by the Secretary of State.
(2) Except as provided herein, the position of each candidate
within each office division shall be determined by the position
drawn for that candidate individually: Provided, That if fewer
candidates file for an office division than the total number to be
nominated or elected, the vacant positions shall appear following
the names of all candidates for the office.
(3) Candidates for delegate to national convention who have
filed a commitment to a candidate for president shall be listed
alphabetically within the group of candidates committed to the same
candidate for president and uncommitted candidates shall be listed
alphabetically in an uncommitted category. The position of each
group of committed candidates and uncommitted candidates shall be
determined by lot by drawing the names of the presidential candidates and for an uncommitted category.
A candidate or the candidate's representative may attend
WVC 3-5-14 §3-5-14. General provisions applicable to primary elections.
Provisions of article one of this chapter relating to ballot
commissioners, election commissioners and clerks, procedures for
obtaining election supplies and conducting elections, loss and
replacement of election supplies, challenge of voters, leaves of
absence for voting, election expenses and recount procedures shall
control and govern primary elections wherever applicable.
In all other particulars, when no specific provision is made
in this article for the control, conduct and government of any
phase of primary elections, resort shall be had to other provisions
of this chapter which may be applicable thereto and controlling
WVC 3 - 5 - 15 §3-5-15. Ascertaining and certifying primary election results.
When the polls are closed in an election precinct where only
a single election board has served, the receiving board shall
perform all of the duties prescribed in this section. When the
polls are closed in an election precinct where two election boards
have served, both the receiving and counting boards shall together
conclude the counting of the votes cast, the tabulating and
summarizing of the number of the votes cast, unite in certifying
and attesting to the returns of the election and join in making out
the certificates of the result of the election provided in this
article. They shall not adjourn until the work is completed.
In all election precincts, as soon as the polls are closed and
the last voter has voted, the receiving board shall first process
the absentee ballots according to the provisions of section eight,
article three of this chapter. After the absentee ballots to be
counted have been deposited in the ballot box, the election
officers shall proceed to ascertain the result of the election in
(a) The receiving board shall ascertain from the poll books
and record separately on the proper form the total number of voters
of each party and nonpartisan voters who have voted.
(1) The number of provisional ballots of each party shall be
counted and subtracted from the number of voters of the same party,
which result should equal the number of ballots of that party
deposited in the ballot box.
(2) The total of all voters, including both partisan and
nonpartisan voters, minus the total of all provisional ballots,
should equal the number of nonpartisan ballots deposited in the
(3) The commissioners and clerks shall also report, over their
signatures, the number of each type of ballots spoiled and the
number of each type of ballots not voted.
(b) The procedure for counting ballots, whether performed
throughout the day by the counting board, as provided in section
thirty-three, article one of this chapter, or after the close of
the polls by the receiving board or by the two boards together,
(1) The ballot box shall be opened and all votes shall be
tallied in the presence of the entire election board;
(2) One of the commissioners shall take one ballot from the
box at a time and shall determine if the ballot is properly signed
by the two poll clerks of the receiving board. If not properly
signed, the ballot shall be placed in an envelope for the purpose
without unfolding it. If properly signed, the commissioner shall
announce which type of ballot it is and hand the ballot to a team
of commissioners of opposite politics, who shall together read the
votes marked on the ballot for each office. Write-in votes for
nomination for any office and write-in votes for election for any
person other than an official write-in candidate shall be
(3) The commissioner responsible for removing the ballots from
the box shall keep a tally of the number of ballots of each party
and any nonpartisan ballot as they are removed and whenever the
number of ballots of a particular party shall equal the number of
voters entered on the poll book for that party minus the number of
provisional ballots of that party, as determined according to
subsection (a) of this section, any other ballot found in the
ballot box shall be placed in the same envelope with unsigned
ballots not counted, without unfolding the same, or allowing anyone
to examine or know the contents thereof, and the number of excess
ballots of each party shall be recorded on the envelope;
(4) Each poll clerk shall keep an accurate tally of the votes
cast by marking in ink on tally sheets, which shall be provided for
the purpose so as to show the number of votes received by each
candidate for each office;
(5) When the votes have been read from a ballot, the ballot
shall be immediately strung on a thread, with separate threads for
each party's ballots and for nonpartisan ballots.
(c) As soon as the results at the precinct are ascertained,
the commissioners and clerks shall make out and sign three
certificates of result, for each party represented, of the vote for
all candidates of each party represented, on a form prescribed by
the Secretary of State, giving the complete returns of the election
at the polling place, which form shall include the following oath:
We, the undersigned commissioners and poll clerks of the primary election held at precinct No. .......... of .......... district of .......... County, W.Va., on the .......... day of
.........., 20..., do hereby certify that having been first duly
sworn, we have carefully and impartially ascertained the result of
said election at said precinct for the candidates on the official
ballot of the .......... party, and the same is as follows:
The election officers shall enter the name of each office and
the full name of each candidate on the ballot and the number of
votes, in words and numbers, received by each. The election
officers shall also enter the full name of every official write-in
candidate for election to offices to be filled in the primary,
except delegate to national convention, and the number of votes for
each. Two of the certificates of result of election, for each
party, shall be sealed in separately addressed envelopes, furnished
for that purpose, and shall be disposed of by the precinct
commissioners as follows: Two of the sealed envelopes containing
the returns of each party shall be delivered to the clerk of the
county commission who shall, within forty-eight hours, mail one of
the sealed returns for each precinct by certified mail to the
Secretary of State. The one unsealed certificate shall be posted
on the outside of the front door of the polling place.
(d) All ballots voted for candidates of each party shall be
sealed in separate envelopes and the commissioners and clerks shall
each sign across the seal.
WVC 3 - 5 - 16 §3-5-16. Return of supplies and certificates.
Immediately after completion of the count, tabulation and the
posting of the certificate of result of the primary election in
each precinct, one of the commissioners or poll clerks of each
party at the precinct, designated for that purpose, shall return to
the clerk of the county commission the ballot boxes, registration
books and the several packages of ballots, poll books, tally
sheets, certificates and all other election supplies and returns.
WVC 3 - 5 - 17 §3-5-17. Canvassing and certifying returns; recount procedures. The commissioners of the county commission, sitting as a board
of canvassers, shall convene at the courthouse of the county on the
fifth day following any primary election, which is not a Saturday,
Sunday or legal holiday, and shall proceed to canvass the returns
of the election. The procedures prescribed in section nine,
article six, of this chapter relating to canvass of general
election returns, shall, where adaptable, be applied in the canvass
of the primary election returns. The board shall proceed to
ascertain the result of the election in the county and district and
election precincts and cause to be prepared and recorded in the
primary election precinct record book a table or tables which show,
as to each candidate of each political party for each office, the
number of votes cast for him or her at each precinct and the total
number cast in the entire county. The board shall then make up and
enter in said record book a certificate for each political party
showing, as to each candidate for each political party for each
office, the total number of votes, in words and figures, cast for
him or her in the entire county and the number of votes received by
all the candidates of such party in such district in the following
The board of canvassers of the county of ................ of
West Virginia, having carefully and impartially examined the
returns of the primary election held in said county on the .......
day of ..........., 19...., do hereby certify that in said county or district, at said election, on the official ballot of the
.................. party for the office of ..............., A. B.
received ............ (......) votes; C. D. received ..............
(......) votes.
And so on for each office for each political party according
to the truth. When the certificates are all entered, the report
shall be signed by the members of the board or by a majority of
the board. Such members shall also sign separate certificates of
the result of the election, within the county, for each of the
offices to be filled by each political party
as provided by the following section.
The provisions of article six of this chapter, relating to the
recount of votes in general elections, shall, to the extent
applicable, be operative in primary and other elections conducted
under provisions of this article.
WVC 3-5-18
§3-5-18. Disposition of certificates of results. (a) The certificates of the board of canvassers made pursuant to the preceding section shall be by them disposed of as follows: One of the certificates showing the votes received by each candidate of each party for each office to be filled by the voters of a political division greater than a county, including members of the state Executive Committee, shall be filed with the Secretary of State, and preserved in his or her office, and a copy thereof filed in the office of the clerk of the county commission of the county of such board, to be preserved by the clerk, and which shall be open to public inspection; one certificate showing the votes received by each candidate of each party for each office to be filled by the voters of the county or magisterial district within such county, including members of the county executive committee, shall be filed with the clerk of the county commission, and preserved in his or her office. If requested, the board of canvassers shall furnish to the county chairman of each political party a certificate showing the number of votes received by each of the candidates of such party in the county or any magisterial district therein. (b) The Secretary of State shall certify by the seventy-first day next preceding the date of the general election, under the seal of the state, to the clerk of the county commission of each county in which a candidate is to be voted for, the name of the candidate of each political party receiving the highest number of votes in the political division in which he or she is a candidate, and who is entitled to have his or her name placed on the official ballot in the general election as the nominee of the party for such office. However, the certification shall include any candidates entitled to have their name placed on the official ballot in the general election as the nominee of the party following the filling of vacancies made pursuant to section nineteen of this article or other relevant state law. The Secretary of State shall also certify in the same manner the names of all candidates nominated by political parties or by groups of citizens, not constituting a political party, in any manner provided for making such nominations in this chapter. (c) The Secretary of State may not include in the certification any person who has timely filed a notarized statement of withdrawal according to section eleven of this article. WVC 3-5-19
§3-5-19. Vacancies in nominations; how filled; fees. (a) If any vacancy occurs in the party nomination of candidates for office nominated at the primary election or by appointment under the provisions of section eleven of this article, the vacancies may be filled, subject to the following requirements and limitations: (1) Each appointment made under this section shall be made by the executive committee of the political party for the political division in which the vacancy occurs: Provided, That if the executive committee holds a duly called meeting in accordance with section nine, article one of this chapter but fails to make an appointment or fails to certify the appointment of the candidate to the proper filing officer within the time required, the chairperson of the executive committee may make the appointment not later than two days following the deadline for the executive committee. (2) Each appointment made under this section is complete only upon the receipt by the proper filing officer of the certificate of appointment by the executive committee, or its chairperson, as the case may be, the certificate of announcement of the candidate as prescribed in section seven of this article and, except for appointments made under subdivision (4), (5), (6) or (7) of this subsection, the filing fee or waiver of fee as prescribed in section eight or eight-a of this article. The proper filing officer is the officer with whom the original certificate of announcement is regularly filed for that office. (3) If a vacancy in nomination will be caused by the failure of a candidate to file for an office, or by withdrawal of a candidate no later than the third Tuesday following the close of candidate filing pursuant to the provisions of section eleven of this article, a nominee may be appointed by the executive committee and certified to the proper filing officer no later than thirty days after the last day to file a certificate of announcement pursuant to section seven of this article. (4) If a vacancy in nomination is caused by the disqualification of a candidate and the vacancy occurs not later than eighty-four days before the general election, a nominee may be appointed by the executive committee and certified to the proper filing officer not later than seventy-eight days before the general election. A candidate may be determined disqualified if a written request is made by an individual with information to show a candidate’s ineligibility to the State Election Commission no later than eighty-four days before the general election explaining grounds why a candidate is not eligible to be placed on the general election ballot or not eligible to hold the office, if elected. The State Election Commission shall review the reasons for the request. If the commission finds the circumstances warrant the disqualification of the candidate, the commission shall authorize appointment by the executive committee to fill the vacancy. Upon receipt of the authorization a nominee may be appointed by the executive committee and certified to the proper filing officer no later than seventy-eight days before the general election. (5) If a vacancy in nomination is caused by the incapacity of the candidate and if the vacancy occurs not later than eighty-four days before the general election, a nominee may be appointed by the executive committee and certified to the proper filing officer no later than seventy-eight days before the general election. (6) If a vacancy in nomination is caused by the timely filing of a notarized statement of withdrawal, according to section eleven of this article, of a candidate whose name would otherwise appear on the general election ballot, a replacement on the general election ballot may be appointed by the executive committee and certified to the proper filing officer no later than seventy-eight days before the general election. (7) If a vacancy in nomination is caused by the death of the candidate occurring no later than twenty-five days before the general election, a nominee may be appointed by the executive committee and certified to the proper filing officer no later than twenty-one days following the date of death or no later than twenty-two days before the general election, whichever date occurs first. (b) Except as otherwise provided in article ten of this chapter, if any vacancy occurs in a partisan office or position other than political party executive committee, which creates an unexpired term for a position which would not otherwise appear on the ballot in the general election, and the vacancy occurs after the close of candidate filing for the primary election but not later than eighty-four days before the general election, a nominee of each political party may be appointed by the executive committee and certified to the proper filing officer no later than seventy-eight days before the general election. Appointments shall be filed in the same manner as provided in subsection (a) of this section, except that the filing fee shall be paid before the appointment is complete. (c) When a vacancy occurs in the board of education after the close of candidate filing for the primary election but not later than eighty-four days before the general election, a special candidate filing period shall be established. Candidates seeking election to any unexpired term for board of education shall file a certificate of announcement and pay the filing fee to the clerk of the county commission no earlier than the first Monday in August and no later than seventy-seven days before the general election. WVC 3-5-20 §3-5-20. Election contests and court review.
Any candidate for nomination for or election to an office to
be filled by the voters of the state or any political subdivision
thereof or any candidate for membership on any political party
executive committee, may contest the primary election before the
county court of the county in which any primary election
procedures, practices or results may be in issue. The procedure in
such case shall be the same as that governing the contest of a
general election by candidates for county offices or offices in
magisterial districts. The decision of the county court upon such
contest may be reviewed by the circuit court of the county and by
the supreme court of appeals of the state. Wherever practicable,
the circuit court, on review, may, by order entered of record,
consolidate and hear together any such primary election cases
arising in one or more counties of the circuit, and the supreme
court of appeals, on further review, may likewise consolidate and
hear together any such cases whenever considered practicable by the
court so to do.
Any action of a political party executive committee in the
discharge of any of the duties imposed upon such committee by this
article, or of any board of election officials in conducting and
ascertaining the result of the primary election, or of any board of
canvassers in canvassing and certifying the result of the primary
election for the county, may be reviewed by the circuit court of
the county, upon the petition of any candidate, political committeeman or delegate voted for at such primary and affected
adversely by the action of such committee, board of election
officials, or board of canvassers. From the judgment of the
circuit court in any such proceeding, an appeal shall lie to the
supreme court of appeals of the state.
Any such contest, or petition for review, of a candidate for
a nomination not finally determined within ten days next preceding
the date of the next election after the primary, or of a candidate
for delegate to any convention within ten days next preceding the
date fixed for holding the convention, shall stand dismissed, and
the person shown by the face of the returns of the primary election
to be nominated for any office shall be entitled to have his name
printed upon the regular ballot to be voted at the election, and
the person shown upon the face of the returns to have been elected
as a delegate to any convention shall be entitled to sit in such
convention as a delegate.
WVC 3 - 5 - 21 §3-5-21. Party conventions to nominate presidential electors;
candidates; organization; duties.
Candidates for presidential electors shall be nominated by the
delegated representatives of the political party assembled in a
state convention to be held during the months of June, July or
August next preceding any general election at which presidential
electors are to be elected. The state executive committee of the
political party, by resolution, shall designate the place and fix
the date of the convention, shall prescribe the number of delegates
thereto, and shall apportion the delegates among the several
counties of the state in proportion to the vote cast in the state
for the party's candidate for governor at the last preceding
general election at which a governor was elected. The state
executive committee shall also ascertain and designate all offices
for which candidates are to be nominated at the convention.
At least sixty days prior to the date fixed for holding any
state convention, the chairman of the party's state executive
committee shall cause to be delivered to the party's county
executive committee in each county of the state a copy of the
resolutions fixing the time and place for holding the state
convention and prescribing the number of delegates from each county
to the convention. Within ten days after receipt of the copy of
the resolutions, the party executive committee of each county shall
meet and, by resolution, shall apportion the delegates to the state
convention among the several magisterial districts of the county, on a basis of the vote received in the county by the candidate of
the party for governor at the last preceding general election at
which a governor was elected, but in such apportionment of county
delegates each magisterial district shall be entitled to at least
one delegate to the state convention. The party's county executive
committee shall call a meeting of the members of the political
party in mass convention in the county, which meeting shall be held
at least thirty days prior to the date fixed for the state
convention and at which meeting the members of the political party
in each magisterial district shall elect the number of delegates to
which the district is entitled in the state convention.
The meeting place in the county shall be as central and
convenient as can reasonably be selected, and all recognized
members of the political party shall be entitled to participate in
any mass convention and in the selection of delegates. Notice of
the time and place of holding the county mass convention and of the
person who shall act as temporary chairman thereof shall be given
by publication as a Class II-O legal advertisement in compliance
with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this
code, and the publication area for the publication shall be the
county. The first publication shall be made not more than fifteen
days and the second publication shall be made not less than five
days prior to the date fixed for holding the convention. The
notice published shall specify the number of delegates which each
magisterial district in the county is entitled to elect to the state convention.
Upon assembling, the mass convention of the county, shall
choose a chairman and a secretary, who, within five days after the
holding of the convention, shall certify to the chairman of the
state executive committee of the political party and the chairman
of the county committee of the political party, the names and
addresses of the parties selected as delegates to the state
If, after the election, a vacancy exists for a delegate from
any magisterial district, the party's county executive committee,
within ten days after the mass convention, shall appoint a member
of the political party in the magisterial district to fill the
vacancy, and shall certify the appointment to the chairman of the
state executive committee of the political party. All contests over the selection of delegates to conventions
shall be heard and determined by the party executive committee of
the county from which the delegates are chosen, and the county
executive committee shall, upon written petition of any contest,
meet for a hearing and make a determination within ten days after
the holding of a county mass convention. The circuit court of the
county and the supreme court of appeals of the state shall have
concurrent original jurisdiction to review, by mandamus or other
proper proceeding, the decision of a county executive committee in
The delegates chosen and certified by and from the several magisterial districts in the state and, in the event of any
contest, those prevailing in the contest, shall make up the state
convention. The number present of those entitled to participate in
any convention shall cast the entire vote to which the county is
entitled in the convention, and it shall require a majority vote to
nominate any candidate for office.
All nominations made at state conventions shall be certified
within fifteen days thereafter, by the chairman and the secretary
of the convention, to the secretary of state, who shall certify
them to the clerk of the circuit court of each county concerned,
and the names of the persons so nominated shall be printed upon the
regular ballot to be voted at the ensuing general election, except
that the names of the presidential elector candidates shall not be
printed thereon.
The delegates to any state convention may formulate and
promulgate the party platform or declaration of party principles as
to them shall seem advisable.
WVC 3-5-22 §3-5-22. Other party and group nominations; procedure.
Any political party which polled less than ten percent of the
total vote cast only for governor at the general election
immediately preceding may nominate candidates and select committees
by party conventions, provided such nominations are made and the
certificates thereof filed within the time and in the manner
provided in section twenty-four of this article, or by certificate
in the same manner as groups of citizens may make nominations as
provided in the following section.
No delegate or person participating in the selection of
delegates under this section shall vote in any primary election
held in that year.
WVC 3 - 5 - 23 §3-5-23. Certificate nominations; requirements and control;
(a) Groups of citizens having no party organization may
nominate candidates who are not already candidates in the primary
election for public office otherwise than by conventions or primary
elections. In that case, the candidate or candidates, jointly or
severally, shall file a nomination certificate in accordance with
the provisions of this section and the provisions of section
twenty-four of this article.
(b) The person or persons soliciting or canvassing signatures
of duly qualified voters on the certificate or certificates, may
solicit or canvass duly registered voters residing within the
county, district or other political division represented by the
office sought, but must first obtain from the clerk of the county
commission credentials which must be exhibited to each voter
canvassed or solicited, which credentials may be in the following
form or effect:
This certifies that the holder of this credential is hereby
authorized to solicit and canvass duly registered voters residing
in .................... (here place the county, district or other
political division represented by the office sought) to sign a
certificate purporting to nominate ............................
(here place name of candidate heading list on certificate) for the
office of ............................. and others, at the general election to be held on ........................., 20......
Given under my hand and the seal of my office this
................. day of ........................, 20......
The clerk of each county commission, upon proper application
made as herein provided, shall issue such credentials and shall
keep a record thereof.
(c) The certificate shall be personally signed by duly
registered voters, in their own proper handwriting or by their
marks duly witnessed, who must be residents within the county,
district or other political division represented by the office
sought wherein the canvass or solicitation is made by the person or
persons duly authorized. The signatures need not all be on one
certificate. The number of signatures shall be equal to not less
than one percent of the entire vote cast at the last preceding
general election for the office in the state, district, county or
other political division for which the nomination is to be made,
but in no event shall the number be less than twenty-five. The
number of signatures shall be equal to not less than one percent of
the entire vote cast at the last preceding general election for any
statewide, congressional or presidential candidate, but in no event
shall the number be less than twenty-five. Where two or more
nominations may be made for the same office, the total of the votes
cast at the last preceding general election for the candidates receiving the highest number of votes on each ticket for the office
shall constitute the entire vote. A signature on a certificate may
not be counted unless it be that of a duly registered voter of the
office sought wherein the certificate was presented.
(d) The certificates shall state the name and residence of
each of the candidates; that he or she is legally qualified to hold
the office; that the subscribers are legally qualified and duly
registered as voters and desire to have the candidates placed on
the ballot; and may designate, by not more than five words, a brief
name of the party which the candidates represent and may adopt a
device or emblem to be printed on the official ballot. All
candidates nominated by the signing of the certificates shall have
their names placed on the official ballot as candidates, as if
otherwise nominated under the provisions of this chapter.
The Secretary of State shall prescribe the form and content of
the nomination certificates to be used for soliciting signatures.
Offices to be filled by the voters of more than one county
shall use separate petition forms for the signatures of qualified
voters for each county.
contrary, a duly registered voter may sign the certificate provided
in this section and may vote for candidates of his or her choosing
in the corresponding primary election.
(e) The Secretary of State, or the clerk of the county commission, as the case may be, may investigate the validity of the
certificates and the signatures thereon. If, upon investigation,
there is doubt as to the legitimacy and the validity of
certificate, the Secretary of State may ask the Attorney General of
the state, or the clerk of the county commission may ask the
prosecuting attorney of the county, to institute a quo warranto
proceeding against the nominee by certificate to determine his or
her right to the nomination to public office and upon request being
made, the Attorney General or prosecuting attorney shall institute
the quo warranto proceeding. The clerk of the county commission
shall, at the request of the Secretary of State or the clerk of the
circuit court, compare the information from any certificate to the
county voter registration records in order to assist in determining
the validity of any certificates.
(f) In addition to penalties prescribed elsewhere for
violation of this chapter, any person violating the provisions of
this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall
be fined not more than $1,000, or confined in jail not more than
one year, or both fined and imprisoned: Provided, That a criminal
penalty may not be imposed upon anyone who signs a nomination
certificate and votes in the primary election held after the date
the certificate was signed.
WVC 3 - 5 - 24 §3-5-24. Filing of nomination certificates; time; location; fees;
effect of failure to timely file or pay fee.
(a) All certificates nominating candidates for office under
section twenty-three of this article shall be filed not later than
August 1 preceding the November general election: Provided, That
for municipal or other elections not held in conjunction with
regular state and county general elections, certificates shall be
filed not later than ninety days before the date of the election,
unless otherwise provided by charter, ordinance or code.
(b) The nomination certificate required by this section and
section twenty-three of this article shall be filed:
(1) In the case of a candidate to be voted for by the voters
of the entire state or by any subdivision of the state other than
a single county, with the Secretary of State;
(2) In the case of all candidates for county and magisterial
district offices, including all offices to be filled by the voters
of a single county, with the clerk of the county commission; and
(3) In the case of candidates for election in a municipality,
with the recorder or other official designated by charter or
ordinance to perform election responsibilities.
(c) Each candidate shall pay the filing fee required by
section eight of this article, at the time of the filing of the
(d) If any nomination certificate is not timely filed or if the filing fee is not timely paid, the certificate may not be
received by the Secretary of State, the clerk of the county
commission or the recorder or other official designated by charter
or ordinance to perform municipal election responsibilities, as the