West Virginia Leads the Charge in Securing Elections

The West Virginia Legislature passed five new election laws during its 2025 session, all signed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey. The commonsense package aims to strengthen election rules and streamline procedures ahead of the next cycle.

• Senate Bill 486 amends state code to explicitly require U.S. citizenship for voting in federal, state, county, municipal, and special elections. Secretary of State Kris Warner said the bill explicitly states that only United States citizens may vote … closing what he called “ambiguity” in existing law.
• House Bill 3016 mandates voters show a government-issued photo ID at polling sites to safeguard elections and prevent noncitizens from voting in elections. At the bill-signing ceremony for HB 3016, Morrisey praised this as a “commonsense legislation that secures West Virginia’s elections,” signaling his administration’s commitment to election integrity.
• Senate Bill 490 bans Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in West Virginia, a move that preserves security and transparency in the election process. The bill is consistent ALEC model policy to safeguard American votes by prohibiting RCV, one of the ALEC Essential Policy Solutions for 2025.
• Senate Bill 487 lowers the threshold for flagging voters as inactive, moving it from four years to two years in hopes of keeping voter rolls current.
• Senate Bill 50 requires municipal elections to be held simultaneously with either statewide primaries or general elections. Supporters note this will reduce costs and improve voter turnout. This ALEC model, highlighted in the ALEC Essential Policy Solutions for 2025, takes a similar tack, consolidating school board elections.

Sen. Patricia Rucker, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the 2025 ALEC National Chair, sponsored SB 50 and SB 490. Senate leadership credited her with guiding these bills through the legislative process.

The five bills were passed with little opposition, demonstrating the bipartisan appeal of these policies. The laws took effect between June 15-17, 2025, positioning the state ahead of the 2026 electoral cycle.

These reforms enhance election security, improve voter registration accuracy, and streamline administration.