SB 487 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Removing ineligible voters from active voter rolls

SB 487, now Chapter 105 of the 2025 Regular Session, requires state election officials to remove voters from active rolls when they are confirmed ineligible (e.g., due to death, relocation, or felony conviction). It directs officials to verify eligibility using existing state databases like driver's license records and death registries. The bill establishes a process for identifying and removing ineligible voters while allowing affected individuals to contest removals. This law directly impacts voters whose eligibility status changes but aims to maintain accurate voter rolls.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Aug 2025
Introduced Feb 14, 2025 Signed Aug 8, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute Enrolled Committee Substitute · 3 edits · Mar 26, 2025
MINOR
This bill transitions from a draft version to its final enrolled form, incorporating minor formatting updates and correcting a specific eligibility threshold. The most significant substantive change is the reduction of the inactivity period used to identify ineligible voters from four years to two years, allowing the state to purge inactive voter rolls more frequently. Additionally, the final version removes a reference to a specific funding source for the purging program, shifting the financial responsibility for confirmation notices entirely to the counties.
Scope change
The bill's scope regarding the frequency of voter purging has expanded by shortening the inactivity threshold from four years to two years, enabling more regular updates to voter rolls.
ELIGIBILITY

The period of voting inactivity required to flag a voter for removal was decreased from four years to two years.

FISCAL

The reference to the 'combined voter registration and licensing fund' for paying purging costs was removed, leaving counties solely responsible for the cost of confirmation notices and postage.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was updated from a 'Committee Substitute' to the final 'Enrolled Version,' including the addition of certification signatures and the Governor's signature line.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 5, 2025 · House of Delegates Mar 17, 2025

How they voted

321
Passed
Total votes 33
Mar 5, 2025
D Democratic2
1 Yea 1 Nay
50% Nay
R Republican31
31 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
34
Key actions
7
Committee
5
Mar 26, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/25/2025 - Senate Journal
upper
Mar 26, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/25/2025 - House Journal
lower
Mar 25, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/25/2025
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 94)
lower
Mar 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Do pass
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Mar 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 62)
upper
Feb 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee substitute reported
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
To Government Organization
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jack Woodrum
Jack Woodrum
RRepublican
WV
10