Charleston, W.Va. (WVDN) – Once again, the state of West Virginia is to be commended for being a national leader in election integrity, including the use of voter verified paper ballots, excuse-only absentee voting, and election security.
Earlier this year, the President issued an Executive Order announcing policy initiatives focused, in part, on ensuring clean voter rolls and paper ballots that are verified by voters prior to casting. Just recently, it’s believed that another Executive Order is forthcoming from the White House that emphasizes the importance of voter identification.
“In West Virginia, we’re already ahead of the game,” said WV Secretary of State Kris Warner. “For years, we’ve had a paper ballot system that can be verified by voters prior to placing their ballot in the ballot box. We mandate the use of a manual paper ballot audit in every county, and we have cleaned up the rolls to as near pristine as possible.”
Since taking office in January 2025, Secretary Warner has built upon West Virginia’s election integrity. The WV Secretary of State’s Office worked closely with the legislature to pass critical election measures, including:
Photo ID to Vote. House Bill No. 3016 requires a voter to provide acceptable identification with a photograph in order to vote.
Prohibit Non-Citizens from Voting. Senate Bill No. 486 requires that only citizens of the United States and of West Virginia are eligible to vote in any election held in West Virginia, including municipal elections.
West Virginia has long had a paper ballot backup for every ballot cast. This backup system is vital to being able to accurately conduct a canvass or a recount.
“West Virginia is leading the nation in election security. Plain and simple. Thanks to our efforts and partnerships in the legislature, we have a proven track record of putting policies and procedures in place to ensure that every eligible citizen has the right and opportunity to cast a ballot securely,” said Secretary Warner.
Secretary Warner supports the White House’s interest in eliminating vote-by-mail-only elections that currently take place in a minority of states including California, Colorado, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Every registered voter in those states are sent a ballot in the mail. Yet, less than 70% of those ballots are returned to be counted. Determining who actually voted those ballots is on a system of pure trust.
“The care, custody, and security of ballots sent through the mail must be a top priority,” Warner said. “There is no way on earth to learn what happens to a ballot once it’s placed into the mail. That’s why West Virginia has a very limited excuse-only absentee voting program to reduce the opportunity for fraud, and emphasize the importance of in-person voting.”
West Virginia’s limited absentee ballot process for voters who may have no other way to vote in-person is still not perfect. That’s why Secretary Warner is working on legislation to present to the legislature that cleans up the existing excuses to clarify who is, and who is not, eligible to vote using the mail. Secretary Warner says that a strong emphasis will be placed on military personnel, their families, voters living with a disability, and those away from home for the entire period of in-person voting.
“The most secure way to cast a ballot is in-person at a secure polling location staffed by trained poll workers under the watchful eye of major political parties,” Warner said.
Secretary Warner said that the White House is correct in challenging vote-by-mail-only states. He said he also supports the very limited use of absentee ballots such as the policy in place here in West Virginia.
