West Virginians Required to Present ID When Voting

Starting this year, voters in West Virginia will need to present identification when casting their ballots.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey has signed House Bill 3016, which requires voters to present a photo ID in order to vote.
The legislation is designed to uphold election integrity and helps to prevent voter fraud in West Virginia.
“Democratic elections are only as strong as the trust placed in them by the voters,” said Morrisey. “This commonsense legislation secures West Virginia’s elections and instills faith in the voting process.”
Morrisey was joined by Attorney General J.B. McCuskey and legislators at the ceremonial bill signing.
House Bill 3016 requires a person desiring to vote to present to one of the poll clerks a valid identifying document, which includes:
A valid West Virginia driver’s license or valid West Virginia identification card issued by the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.
A valid driver’s license issued by a state other than the State of West Virginia.
A valid United States passport or passport card.
A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by the United States Government or of the State of West Virginia, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of West Virginia.
A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by an institution of higher education in West Virginia by a West Virginia high school.
A valid military identification card issued by the United States with a photograph of the person desiring to vote.
A valid voter registration card that includes the voter’s photograph issued by a county clerk in the State of West Virginia or the Secretary of State.
Voters who cannot present a valid identifying document can cast a provisional ballot after executing an affidavit affirming his or her identity. The provisional ballot may be counted once the election authority verifies the identity of the individual through signature verification and determines that the individual was otherwise eligible to cast a ballot.
The legislation was introduced earlier this year on behalf of Secretary of State Kris Warner and overwhelmingly approved by the House and Senate.
“Requiring photo ID to vote strengthens election integrity and protects against fraud,” said Secretary Warner, who serves as West Virginia’s chief election official.
Secretary Warner stated that if voters do not have one of the approved forms of photo ID as stated in the law, then he or she may qualify for one of the limited exemptions, and those who cannot obtain a driver’s license or state-issued ID can apply for a free photo voter ID from their county clerk or the Secretary of State’s office.
Also, the new law permits registered voters 65 and older to use an expired photo ID if the document was not expired on the voter’s 65th birthday.
The law goes into effect on July 11, so it will not affect the 100-plus municipal elections taking place in June.
Heading into the 2026 federal election cycle, the Secretary of State’s Office will publish educational materials for voters and election officials to make the changes as seamless as possible.
“This new law is a common-sense way to ensure poll workers can accurately and efficiently verify the identity of voters appearing to vote at the polls to protect the integrity of our elections,” said Warner.
He noted that 23 other states have laws that require photo ID at the polls.