West Virginia Absentee Voter Guide

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

Mail-In Deadlines

General Election: Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voter Registration

To register to vote in West Virginia you must:

• be a citizen of the United States
• be a legal resident of West Virginia, and the county in which you register
• be at least 17 years old at the time of registration, and before the next general election
• not be currently under conviction for a felony, including probation or parole (voting rights are restored when the term of conviction ends)
• not be judicially declared mentally incompetent and ineligible to vote

How to 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.

ID requirements for first-time voters:

If you are registering for the first time in West Virginia, and your register by mail, you must submit a copy of a current and valid ID with your application.  If you forget, you will need to provide ID the first time you vote in person or by absentee ballot.  Acceptable forms of ID include:  a copy 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.

Voter registration verification:

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.

Absentee Voting

You may vote by absentee ballot if:

• Travel: 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.
• Work: If 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.
• Part-time residency: If 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.
• Job Assignment: If 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 Physical Disability: If 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.
• College Enrollment: If you are away at college, you may vote an absentee ballot by mail.
• If you are in the military, or temporarily living overseas, you may vote an absentee ballot by mail.
• If 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.

How to apply for an 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 eight weeks before an election, but ballots are not printed and mailed until six weeks before the election.  Your application must be received by six days before the election.

ID requirements for absentee voters:

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 a
copy 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.

Permanent absentee voter status:

If you are permanently disabled and are permanently unable to go to the polls, you may apply to be placed on the permanent absentee voting list to vote by mail. A doctor's statement must be filed with your application, but once approved, the clerk will automatically send you an absentee ballot before each election. You can use the regular West Virginia absentee ballot application to request permanent absentee status.

Emergency absentee ballots:

If you are suddenly hospitalized or unexpectedly admitted to a nursing home within the county, or in some cases, in an adjacent county. The provisions only apply when it is too late to get a ballot by mail. The voter's emergency admission must have occurred no earlier than the 7th day before the election. The ballot must be requested no later than noon of election day. A family member may request the emergency absentee voting service by telephone. The County Clerk will schedule a team of emergency absentee voting commissioners to go to the voter at the hospital. The team takes the application and the ballot and returns the voted ballot to the County Clerk.

Absentee ballot instructions:

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

State Contact Information