CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As West Virginians go to the polls on Tuesday, key issues around the state are poised to impact voter turnout and, perhaps, the results in some races.
The fight for local control over data centers and controversial plans for high-powered transmission lines are front of mind for many in the Mountain State, while leaders expect issues in the national consciousness, like the rising cost of living, to make an impact as well.
Data centers are planned in nearly every corner of the state, with projects in Mason County and the Eastern Panhandle among the most contentious debates. Passed in 2025, House Bill 2014 took most of the control over data centers away from local government, and some candidates have used their opponents’ support of the bill in campaign messaging.
Residents opposed to those plans have been vocal for months, and those concerns are expected to have an impression at the polls.
“I work for DEP, and it’s just the strain on our water systems and the noise levels,” Kanawha County resident James Calvert said after casting his vote early.
State Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin is seeing those same concerns over data centers and the power to oppose them on the campaign trail. As the Democrats attempt to make gains in the legislature, he believes the data centers are one of several issues that will make a difference.
“In many parts of the state the issues are about clean water. People are really upset about House Bill 2014 that takes away local control in regard to regulating AI data centers. People are really upset about the way that things are going in this state and in this country, and they’re showing up. The early voting totals show that,” he said.
Transmission line projects, like the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link planned by NextEra Energy, have drawn ire around the state ahead of the polls opening as well. The state Public Service Commission continues hearings on MARL through Monday.
Voters in counties whose lines will pass through expect it to impact ballots across party lines.
“This issue is nonpartisan. Republican, Democrat, and Independent—we are opposed to this,” Barbour County resident Danny Wagner said.
Wagner is a farmer and part of a group of concerned citizens speaking out against transmission line projects passing through Barbour County. After state Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt voiced his concerns with the lines’ effect on the industry, Wagner pointed to that as an example of an elected official standing up for the people.
“We are just thrilled that someone on the Board of Public Works was willing to stand up for us and fight for us and to help us in this fight to stop the power grid from pushing through our land,” he said.
Meanwhile, Calvert struck the same issue with a different tone. He pointed out his problem with House Speaker Roger Hanshaw legally representing data center developer Fundamental Data.
“When the Speaker of the House is the lawyer for them, that’s kind of a conflict of interest, you know?” he said.
Across the country, the cost of living remains the worry of many who will cast a ballot on Tuesday. Pushkin expects that to be no different in West Virginia, and he’s counting on that to take precedence over social issues in the voting booth.
“There’s a sign at every gas station with gas prices, which affect our grocery prices and affect our utility rates. I think people are really upset about kitchen table issues, which affect their day-to-day lives,” he said.
Anecdotally, midweek reports on early voting in Kanawha County showed more Democrats and fewer Republicans going to the polls early than the last midterm election in 2022. Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango believes that dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s policies is driving turnout.
“I thought that Trump was going to shift moderate right before the election, and he hasn’t. He’s still making claims, and people are outraged, so you’re going to see high Democratic turnout, not just in Kanawha County, but all over the United States,” he said.
The polls open around West Virginia at 6:30 on Tuesday morning and close at 7:30 in the evening.