HB 2400 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Prohibiting the delivery of unsolicited absentee ballot applications to any person who has not specifically requested one from the county clerk

HB 2400 prohibits election officials from mailing or delivering absentee ballot applications to voters without a specific request. The bill requires that applications only be provided when a voter personally requests them from the county clerk, either in person, by mail, or electronically. Applications must remain available at county clerk offices and online via the Secretary of State’s website. This change directly affects all registered voters in West Virginia by eliminating unsolicited mailings of ballot applications, ensuring they are only sent to those who actively seek them. The bill amends West Virginia Code §3-3-5 to clarify that unsolicited delivery is unlawful.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 14, 2025 Last action Mar 1, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version Committee Substitute · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended from its original introduced version to a committee substitute version, primarily adding new provisions to prevent unsolicited absentee ballot applications and creating penalties for election officials or individuals who mail applications without voter request. The committee version also clarified eligibility rules, expanded assistance provisions for family and caregivers, and added detailed requirements for electronic ballot transmission and processing.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include protections against unsolicited absentee ballot applications and added specific penalties for election officials and non-officials who violate these rules.
ENFORCEMENT

Added misdemeanor penalties for election officials who mail absentee ballot applications without specific voter request, and for non-officials who mail more than 10 unsolicited applications to voters.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded who may request absentee ballot applications to include not just the voter, but also a member of the voter's immediate family or a caregiver of the voter.

REQUIREMENT

Added detailed requirements for electronic ballot transmission, including privacy waivers, instructions, and statements affirming voter identity and whether assistance was received.

Added requirements for processing electronic absentee ballots, including designation of two individuals of opposite political parties to process received ballots.

DEFINITION

Clarified that qualified first responders may vote by electronic absentee ballot in certain emergency circumstances and provided specific examples of their eligibility.

TIMELINE

Modified the timeline for accepting absentee ballot applications for qualified first responders, allowing applications starting 13 days before the election rather than 84 days.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
13
Key actions
1
Committee
4
Feb 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
By substitute, do pass
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Committee
To House Legal Services
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 10 co-sponsors

Sponsors