Voter Registration in West Virginia

Register to Vote in West Virginia

In the Mountain State, you can register to vote online, at your local West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office when you apply for a driver's license, in person at the Secretary of State (SOS) or a county clerk's office, or by mail to your local county clerk's office.

WV Voter Eligibility Requirements

Before you head out to register, make sure you are eligible to vote in West Virginia first. You must:

• Be a United States citizen.
• Be a West Virginia resident.
• Not be deemed "mentally incompetent" by the court.
• You must be 18 years old or older before the general election or special election.
• You are not currently incarcerated, on probation, or on parole for a treason or bribery in an election.
• You are not currently incarcerated, on probation, or on parole for a felony conviction.*

*Your voting rights are restored after you complete your supervised release. You should re-register to vote.

NOTE: Homeless residents are allowed to vote as long as they can provide an address for a shelter, assistance center, or family member.

Register to Vote in West Virginia

The voter registration process with the WV DMV is simple. You can:

• Apply online using the WVVoter Registration Website.
• Apply in person at your local West Virginia DMV office or county clerk office.
  OR
• Fill out the West Virginia Voter Registration Application (Form R-3) and mail it to your local county clerk's office.

Note that your handwritten signature must be in the signature box.

In West Virginia, you must register 21 days before the date of the election for which you intend to vote.

Change Your Registration Information

If you legally change your name or move within the same county in West Virginia, you may update your registration information one of the following ways:

• Visit any registration office, including your local WV DMV office or county clerk.
• Submit a mail-in West Virginia Voter Registration Application (Form R-3) to your county clerk.
• If you're still within the same precinct, update your information at your local polling place.
  OR
  
• If you're no longer in the same precinct, update your information at your new polling place.

If you move to another county, you must go through the registration process again for that county.

Military & Overseas Voters

If you are a member of the military or a military dependent stationed outside of West Virginia, or a citizen oversea, you have two options when it comes to registering to vote.

• Through the Federal Voting Assistance Program using a Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Federal Post Card Application (Form 76). This form will allow you to register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the same time.
• Through any of the procedures listed above.
  
  • You'll also have to request a ballot using the Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Federal Post Card Application (Form 76).

Absentee Registration & Voting

Voters who are aren't able to register in person can register to vote online or by mail. See Register to Vote in West Virginia above for details.

After you're registered to vote, if you still won't be able to make it to the polls on Election Day, you might be qualified to vote absentee. You must submit an Application to Vote by Mail (Form A2 SOS) for approval no EARLIER than 84 days but no LATER than 6 days before the election. Refer to the state's section on regular absentee voting by mail to determine your eligibility.

Some registered voters are even qualified to vote emergency absentee; for example, if they're suddenly hospitalized and can't make it to the polls. Refer to the state's section on emergency absentee voting to determine your eligibility and find instructions and deadlines for applying.

College Students

If you are a student who is studying outside of your typical county or state of residence, you have the choice of registering to vote in either:

• The county or state where you study.

• The county or state where you live when not at school.

You can register online or by mail (see Register to Vote in West Virginia above) and you can apply to vote absentee if you can't make it to the polls.