West Virginia 2026 PRIMARY Voter GuiDE

Primary Election Day is May 12. Here’s what you need to know.

West Virginians will go to the polls on May 12 to pick party nominees for federal jobs like U.S. senator and U.S. representative all the way down to state legislative seats and county commissioners. Plus, there are a number of nonpartisan races on the ballots — positions like school board and many city council seats — that will be decided by this election.

This year will bring some changes to how West Virginians vote. Previously, unaffiliated voters could opt to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. But last year, the state Republican party decided to close its primary, meaning that only registered Republicans can receive those ballots. Unaffiliated voters will still be able to choose to vote in the Democratic primary.

Also new this year: voters will be required to show a photo ID when they go to the polls. Last year, lawmakers passed a bill tightening the requirements. While voters used to be able to use a number of documents without photos for voter identification (including hunting and fishing licenses, food stamp cards or bank statements), now they’ll have to produce a document with both their name and image. County clerks and the secretary of state can also issue voter ID cards that meet these requirements.

Who can vote?

To register to vote in West Virginia, you must:

be a citizen of the United States
live in West Virginia at the address on your application
be 18 years old on the day of the election.
not be serving a sentence (including probation or parole) for a felony, treason or election bribery (people convicted of misdemeanors are eligible to vote).
not have been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of law.

How do you check if you’re registered?

You can search for your voter registration information on the Secretary of State’s website by entering your name and date of birth.

The deadline to register to vote in the primary was April 21, 2026.

How do you find your polling place?

You can search for your polling place on the Secretary of State’s website by entering your name and date of birth.

What are the key dates?

Deadline to register: April 21, 2026.

Early in-person voting starts April 29 and goes through May 9. Here’s a list of early voting locations and times.

Primary Election Day: Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Can you mail in a ballot?

Yes, but you have to meet certain requirements before you’re allowed to vote absentee in West Virginia. Eligibility requires two basic criteria: (1) confinement or not being present in the county during in-person voting, and (2) a permitted reason/excuse, which can include illness, immobility, work hours or travel.

If you plan to vote absentee, you must request an absentee ballot by May 6. It must be hand-delivered to your local county clerk’s office by the day before Primary Election Day (May 11) or postmarked by Primary Election Day (May 12). The county clerk will accept absentee ballots without a postmark delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or an express shipping service until May 13.

This is a primary election. Here’s what that means.

Because this is a primary election, there are different Republican and Democratic ballots. But for the first time, this year, the Republican ballot is limited to only people who are registered as a Republican.

Previously, unaffiliated voters (registered as “no party”), could choose whether they wanted to vote in the Republican or Democratic primary elections. But last year, the West Virginia Republican Party decided to close its primary, excluding unaffiliated voters.

The Democratic primary is still open, meaning both registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters can request a Democratic primary ballot. And for unaffiliated voters who don’t want to vote in either party’s primary, there will be nonpartisan ballots that contain only those races.

For nonpartisan races like judges and county board of education members, the primary will decide the winner. But for partisan races, the party winners will advance to the November general election.

What races are on every ballot?

Because this is a primary election, the candidates you see on your ballot will vary depending on whether you’re voting on the Democratic or Republican ballot. But in every county there are several nonpartisan judicial races that will be on every ballot. Unlike the partisan races, these seats will be decided during the primary, meaning this is your only chance to weigh in on candidates.

Judicial positions

Supreme Court Justice — Division 1 Unexpired 6 Year Term

Five justices are elected to West Virginia’s highest court for 12-year terms. Every year, the court convenes twice for several months to hear appeals of Intermediate Court decisions, as well as appeals from circuit court in criminal cases, juvenile proceedings, and child abuse and neglect matters. They can also be asked to help interpret state and national constitutions and laws.

To be eligible for the court, candidates must be at least 30 years old, have lived in West Virginia for at least five years, be a member in good standing with the West Virginia State Bar, and have been admitted to practice law for at least 10 years prior to the election.

This race is for an unexpired seat; the winner will serve on the bench for six years.