West Virginia Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should visit the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Important Deadlines

• Voter Registration: Postmarked at least 21 days before the election
• Absentee Ballot Application: Received the Wednesday before the election
• Voted Absentee Ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by the canvass day (the Friday after a primary and the Monday after a general election)

How to vote by absentee ballot

Register to vote

Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form. 

You can also download and complete West Virginia’s voter registration form. Mail your completed form to your County Clerk.

Verify your voter registration

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can use the voter registration verification tools here.

Make sure you're eligible to vote by absentee ballot

In West Virginia, you may vote by absentee ballot for any of the following reasons:

• You will be out of your county during the entire 20 days leading up to the election and election day, you may vote by mail, providing the ballot can be mailed to you at an out-of-county address;
• The hours you work and the distance you work from the county makes voting in person impossible, you may request an absentee ballot by mail;
• You maintain your voting residence in West Virginia and live here the majority of the time but live elsewhere for part of the year, you may vote absentee by mail;
• You have a job assignment which requires you to live outside the county for an extended period of time (up to four years) and your employer can document that the assignment is temporary, you may maintain your voting residence in West Virginia and vote absentee by mail. This provision also covers out-of-county service as an elected or appointed federal or state officer;
• Health problems or disabilities keep you confined to your home or other care facility so that you cannot vote in person, you may apply for a ballot by mail;
• You are away at college, you may vote an absentee ballot by mail;
• You are in the military, or temporarily living overseas, you may vote an absentee ballot by mail;
• You are under incarceration or detention in a jail or in a home, you may request an absentee ballot by mail as long as you are not under conviction (including period of probation or parole) of any felony, of treason or of bribery in an election. In order to be eligible for the absentee ballot, the affidavit on the back of the Application of Voting an Absent Voter’s Ballot by Mail form must be completed by a sheriff, chief of police, or authorized deputy.

Apply for your absentee ballot

Download and complete West Virginia's absentee ballot application. Mail your completed form to your County Clerk.  Unless you are voting absentee by mail because of illness or disability, the ballot must be mailed to an out-of-county address. 

You may apply as early as 84 days before an election, but ballots are not printed and mailed until 6 weeks before the election.  Your application must be received by 6 days before the election.

Receive, complete, and return your absentee ballot

Complete your ballot, sign where indicated, and mail your voted ballot back to your County Clerk.  Your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to provide ID when I apply for an absentee ballot? 

You do not need to provide ID if you've already voted in West Virginia at least once.  If you are voting for the first time in West Virginia,  you must include a copy of your ID with your application (unless you submitted it with your voter registration form). 

Acceptable forms of ID include acopy of a current and valid photo ID that shows your name and West Virginia address OR a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and West Virginia address.

I missed the absentee ballot application deadline.  Is there anything I can do?

In most cases, no.  If you are hospitalized or admitted to a nursing home within seven days of the election you can apply for an emergency absentee ballot.  You or a family member must contact the County Clerk and request an emergency ballot.  The County Clerk will deploy a team of emergency absentee voting commissioners to go to hospital or nursing home.  This commissioners will bring the ballot to the hospital and will return the voted ballot to the County Clerk.

I won't be able to go to the polls on election day but don't want to vote by mail.  Can I vote in person before the election?

Yes. Check out our Early Voting page for details.

Additional Information