SB 481 West Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Relating to elections

SB 481 changes the term "precinct" to "polling location" in West Virginia election law and requires each polling location to be reported independently. This means county election offices must track and report each voting site as a separate unit, including separate voting booths, ballot boxes, and election staff, even if multiple locations share the same building. The bill directly affects county election administrators and voters by clarifying how polling places are managed and documented. It updates outdated terminology while ensuring each voting site operates as a distinct entity during elections.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Jan 19, 2026 Signed Jun 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Enrolled Committee Substitute · 4 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and enacted into law, changing the terminology from 'precinct' to 'polling location' throughout the text to align with modern election administration practices. The scope of the bill remains focused on election procedures, specifically requiring that each polling location be reported independently. The bill also updated the authorship to include two senators and confirmed the effective date as the date of passage.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on election administration, but the terminology shift from 'precinct' to 'polling location' broadens the applicability of the language to accommodate modern voting site configurations.

DEFINITION

The term 'precinct' was systematically replaced with 'polling location' in definitions and operational requirements to reflect current election terminology.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for independent reporting was updated to apply to 'polling locations' rather than 'precincts', ensuring each voting site is reported separately.

TIMELINE

The bill was enacted with an effective date of March 12, 2026, the date of its passage, rather than a future implementation date.

SCOPE

The bill's authorship was expanded to include both Senator Woodrum and Senator Hamilton, reflecting a collaborative legislative effort.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 4, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 12, 2026

How they voted

32–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 33

Mar 4, 2026

D Democratic2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican31

30 Yea 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 25, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor 3/25/2026

upper

Mar 14, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor 3/25/2026 - House Journal

lower

Mar 14, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate Journal

upper

Mar 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate concurred in House changed effective date

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed House (Roll No. 420)

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Do pass

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Committee

To House Judiciary

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Committee

To Judiciary

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Roll No. 325)

upper

Mar 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported do pass

upper

Jan 23, 2026

Committee

To Judiciary

upper

Jan 23, 2026

Committee

Committee substitute reported, but first to Judiciary

upper

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

To Government Organization

upper

Jan 19, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

To Government Organization then Judiciary

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor