WV Presidential Ballot Access
West Virginia Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for West Virginia, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a political party may be placed on the general election ballot. Political parties nominate the candidates for presidential electors at a state convention in June, July, or August and must certify the names of the electors to the secretary of state within fifteen days. A political party is an organization whose candidate for governor at the last preceding general election received at least 1% of the total number of votes cast for all candidates in the state for that office.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
A group of citizens that is not a political party (minor party and independent candidates) may obtain ballot access for a presidential candidate by filing with the secretary of state no later than August 1st preceding the general election a certificate of nomination containing the number of signatures of registered voters equal to at least 1% of the entire vote cast for president in the last preceding presidential election. The candidates for president and vice president must also pay a fee equivalent to 1% of the annual salary of the of fice, provided that the filing fee for president or vice president must not exceed $2500.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A write-in candidate for president must file a certificate of announcement with the secretary of state no later than the close of business on the 49th day before the election.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- W. Va. Code §§ 3-1-8, 3-5-8, 3-5-21, 3-5-23, 3-5-24, 3-6-4a
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.