West Virginia legislators place citizenship requirement for voting on the ballot, enact 10 other election bills

The West Virginia Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on April 12 after enacting 10 election-related bills, all of which were signed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R).

Legislators also adopted one resolution, SJR 9, which proposes an amendment to the West Virginia Constitution stating that "Only citizens of the United States who are citizens of this state" may vote in elections for state or local office. Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in any federal election.

Currently, West Virginia is one of 32 states that do not explicitly prohibit noncitizen voting in their state constitutions. The constitutional amendment will be submitted to voters in the November 2026 election. Four other states — Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, and South Dakota — will also vote on similar ballot measures in 2026.

The amendment was adopted by the state House of Delegates on a 97-0 vote on March 13, and the state Senate passed it unanimously the following day.



https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/04/23/west-virginia-legislators-place-citizenship-requirement-for-voting-on-the-ballot-enact-10-other-election-bills/