CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Some West Virginians will have fewer options when they go to the polls for Tuesday’s primary elections, the first since the state Republican Party voted to close its primary last year.
That decision means only registered Republicans can request a Republican ballot, and the Secretary of State’s office has been hard at work keeping county clerks and voters prepared.
“The clerks all have signage up at the polling location that clearly lets you know if you’re a Republican, you can vote in the Republican primary. If you’re registered unaffiliated, you can register in the Democrat primary if you request that ballot,” Secretary of State Kris Warner said.
Efforts go beyond just what Warner and his office have done so far, with election officials around the state taking extra steps to make sure residents know what choices they have. Sometimes that includes finding additional avenues to share information.
“I don’t want my voters to be surprised at the polls. There’s a local, online magazine called the ‘Weelunk,’ so I put an article in Weelunk. I put it in the paper. I was on the radio. I was on the news. I sent out letters to every newly registered voter who was non-party, so I did a lot of work independently,” Ohio County Election Coordinator Erin Allietta said.
The change also precipitated new training for poll workers, with clerks wanting to make sure that every voter receives the proper ballot. Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood gave his volunteers a very simple message.
“The Republican Party made the decision. I know it’s different than what it has been in past years. We just need to make sure that everyone gets the proper ballot,” he said.
As for why the party made that decision, state Republican Party Chairman Del. Josh Holstein stated earlier this year that it comes down to the numbers. He believes data shows there are not enough independent voters that want to participate in the Republican primary for it to make a difference.
“Less than 10% of registered independents actually vote in the Republican primary. It’s a very small number. It’s even smaller for Democrats. Most independents in the state do not participate in the primary election, and that’s the truth of the matter,” he said.
Despite the education efforts and Holstein’s numbers, Warner cited at least one instance during early voting this year in which a voter became “belligerent” after being informed he could not ask for a Republican ballot. He said poll workers took care of the situation without any further issue.
“He had always been able, in the last 25 years, to ask for a Republican ballot, and they said that they handled it by pointing to the signage that’s provided by the Secretary of State’s office that makes it very clear, based on how you’re registered to vote, which ballot you’re able to request,” Warner said.
Some within the Republican Party believe that this move will help grow party membership as unaffiliated voters with more conservative beliefs elect to join. Holstein thinks that this move can bolster the GOP’s already growing hold on voter registration in the state.
“Folks in West Virginia know that Democrats don’t speak for them, and we want to continue growing that number up from 43% to as high as we can get it, and this is one of the ways that the party’s membership felt that they could accomplish that goal,” he said.
Officials report seeing some of those predicted changes already, but some are not sure they’re going to stick. After talking to voters about why their ballot options were limited, Berkeley County Clerk Tony Petrucci expects any party-hopping to be short-lived.
“We had to try to educate them as much as possible on why that happened. Some people that were Democrats or independents did switch because they wanted to vote for a Republican, and I think they’ll probably switch back to their other party later.
The early voting period for the 2026 primary elections ends on Saturday, May 9, with regular voting held on Tuesday, May 12.