CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to add a citizenship requirement for voting to the state Constitution this November.
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner announced Thursday the issuance of a public notice for Amendment 1: Citizenship Requirement to Vote in West Virginia Elections Amendment, which will appear on the November 3 General Election ballot. The notice was issued in accordance with Senate Joint Resolution 9.
According to the proposed amendment, only citizens of the United States who are also citizens of West Virginia would be qualified to vote in elections held within the state.
The ballot summary states:
“This amendment provides that in all elections held in West Virginia only citizens of the United States who are citizens of this state are qualified to vote.”
The proposed constitutional language also maintains existing provisions that prohibit voting by individuals who are minors, have been declared mentally incompetent by a court, have certain felony, treason, or election bribery convictions while those disabilities remain in effect, or have not met the state’s 30-day residency requirement. It also specifies that members of the U.S. military, naval, or marine service stationed in West Virginia are not considered state residents solely because of their military assignment.
The amendment will be presented to voters statewide during the November 3, 2026, General Election, where a majority vote will determine whether it is added to the West Virginia Constitution.
