Live coverage: West Virginia Election Day 2024

Signing off for the night

We’re still waiting for the results of the Amendment 1 vote. With 85% of precincts reporting, it’s still too close to call as of 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. However, we’re calling it a night.

Check out our website tomorrow for more election updates.

Good night!

Kanawha County Commission has released a statement on issue with early voting results

The Kanawha County Commission has released a statement on an issue with a USB stick containing early voting results.

“While processing early voting results, the Kanawha County Commission found that one data stick from early voting is corrupted. We are going to run all the early voting ballots through the machine to verify all data sticks to the electronically generated paper. ballots. The Kanawha County Commissioners and the County Clerk are ensuring the integrity of the Election and will make sure all votes are counted. We as doing this open to the public.”

AP has started calling some races

The Associated Press immediately starting calling races in West Virginia minutes after the polls closed at 7:30 p.m. We’ve already posted stories on those races:

• For a third time, West Virginians show staunch support for a Trump presidency
• Republican Gov. Jim Justice projected to take WV U.S. Senate seat over Elliott
• West Virginia’s Miller to keep seat in House of Representatives
• Riley Moore wins U.S. Congress seat in West Virginia’s 2nd district
• Republican Morrisey swiftly projected to win West Virginia governor’s race
• McCuskey wins West Virginia attorney general seat
• Republican Hunt defeats Democrat Claytor for West Virginia auditor
• Economic Development Authority director Kris Warner wins West Virginia secretary of State seat
• Leonhardt will serve another term as West Virginia’s agriculture commissioner

We’re still waiting for the AP to call if Amendment 1 passed or not.

You can follow your statehouse races here.

Polls are now closed in West Virginia

Polls are now closed in West Virginia. You can view our live election results here from Decision Desk HQ.

After the Associated Press has called a winner, we will post our story on that race. Keep checking back here to see who won in West Virginia.

Polls are open for 30 more minutes in West Virginia

Polls in West Virginia close at 7:30 p.m. As long as you are in line by 7: 30 p.m., you are allowed to vote — stay in line.

If you run into any problems at the polls, you can call the American Civil Liberties Union Election Protection Hotline at 304-712-4640.

ACLU-WV files lawsuit in Mingo County on Election Day

In West Virginia, the ACLU has filed a lawsuit over a mess up that led to nearly 700 Mingo County residents voting with incorrect ballots during part of early voting. Democrat candidate Jeff Disibbio was not included on the ballot for four days of early voting until the issue was corrected. The ballot instead listed the name of a disqualified candidate. Read more here.

‘Being a minority in West Virginia, I feel like it falls upon me even doubly to get out there and cast my vote’

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With just a few hours before closing, polling locations in Morgantown are picking up. At Mountaineer Middle School, long-time voters reflect on previous voting experiences and a noted shift in political culture during recent elections.

“It feels like we’re backed into a corner,” says Malcolm Joyner, noting the divisive nature of recent presidential elections. Joyner recalls feeling unsafe and unheard as a Black man during the 2016 election, noting violence and hateful rhetoric.

“Being a minority in West Virginia, I feel like it falls upon me even doubly to get out there and cast my vote.”

Amanda Lohiser, 44, feels that recent elections have grown issue-based rather than people-based. For her, voting is a way of honoring the pioneers of democracy and ensuring her children will one day have a greater selection of candidates than those of the past decade.

“You just have to do the best you can, you’re just swimming in waters that are murky and nasty.”

Despite concerns of division, many voters across Morgantown continue to demonstrate a passion for upholding their role in democracy.

WV Secretary of State’s Office is expecting high voter turnout as Election Day continues smoothly

With about three hours until polls close, officials with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office said Election Day voting has continued to run smoothly throughout the Mountain State.

Landon Palmer, assistant communications director for the Secretary of State, said in an email that “no major issues” have been reported so far.

“Some counties have been experiencing long lines, especially in the Eastern Panhandle, but this is due to high voter turnout and not a result of equipment issues,” Palmer said. “With record in-person turnout for early voting, great weather and reports across the state of steady streams of voters all day, we are optimistic that this will be a higher turnout election for West Virginia.”

Palmer said that county clerks in places that have been experiencing high voter turnout have deployed additional voting equipment. He urged those waiting to vote to be patient and respectful to poll workers and staff at county clerks’ offices who “are doing their best.”

Polls across West Virginia close at 7:30 p.m. Palmer said anyone who is in line at a polling place by 7:30 p.m. will be given a waiting voters permit and allowed to cast their ballots after the polls close.

House of Delegates candidate Shannon Welsh campaigns in Clarksburg

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Bells and signs in hand, Democrat Shannon Welsh campaigned for House of Delegates, district 70, outside of Hardy’s in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

Welsh is a real estate agent who has lived in West Virginia her whole life but has settled in Clarksburg for the past 10 years. She said that while she is new to politics, she has learned that working people support her, so she wants to support them right back.

“I want to learn more about the opioid crisis and how that affects people,” Welsh said. “[I want] to take data from scientific studies and case studies that have really had areas that have started to make a positive difference and see what I can bring back here.”

Welsh believes it is a politicians’ job to reach out to media stations and inform them of who they are and what they believe in so they can best support the people. 

“By seeing what type of social media presence these candidates have and being able to put your presence out as a candidate to the public so they really do understand you is important,” Welsh said.

The West Virginia Secretary of State’s website is a great place for voters to learn about the candidates running for office, according to Welsh. She urges that people take the time to educate themselves on who is running via social media.

“Right now, it is more important to vote than ever. You have so many different media sources that are very biased,” Welsh said. “By voting, you are stepping outside of that.”

With only a few hours left to vote, Welsh said that if she wins, she will do her very best for all of those that have supported her this election season.

Morgantown voter highlights Roe v. Wade and state education as concerns

Sarah Van Atta of Morgantown casted her ballot with daughter Allison Bleigh this afternoon at Morgantown High School in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Van Atta said she votes during every election, but that the overturning of Roe v. Wade made this one stand out. 

“I feel like we’re going backwards,” she said. 

Funding for schools was also a factor for Van Atta when she was deciding on who to vote for in the state Senate race. 

Van Atta said she noticed Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, a candidate for state Senate, is fighting for equal funding of schools. 

“I noticed that about Joey Garcia, that he was really pushing for our schools to still be funded equally, regardless of charter schools,” she said. 

Van Atta said that democracy is very important to her family. She believes that everybody should have the same rights.  

“I’m a social worker and Alli’s been raised to be really accepting of all. So we want to make sure that that’s how our government operates, locally and nationally,” she said

Cabell County voters make their voices heard on women’s reproductive rights

Maggi Anderson, of Barboursville, West Virginia, said reproductive rights were her primary issue as she headed to the polls Tuesday morning.

“The most important issue for me is women’s rights,” Anderson said. “I feel as a woman of any age, this should be one of the most important things in this election today.”

For her, Anderson said, voting was a way to fight for women’s futures while honoring those who came before her.

“Fighting for not only our rights as women right now,” Anderson said. “But like I said, the women that are going to come after us and to honor the women that came before us.”

Read more on this story here.

How first-time Morgantown voter prepared for election

First-time voter and West Virginia University student, Allison Bleigh, dedicated time researching and keeping herself informed before casting her ballot at Morgantown High School in Morgantown, West Virginia this afternoon. 

Bleigh said she mostly listened to podcasts and read articles, citing NPR, Fox News and MSNBC as a few of her sources. 

“I’m in college, so it’s a little bit hard making time to, just like, put time aside to research my own opinions and stuff. So I’m very glad, because I feel very well informed on who I decided,” she said. 

The U.S. Senate race caught Bleigh’s attention, and said she followed it, comparing Democratic candidate Glenn Elliott to Republican candidate Jim Justice. She said the comparison guided her in realizing which candidate would do what was best for West Virginia. 

Bleigh also shared her feelings on the presidential election.

“Trump is very controversial, and I think he’s polarized everything. And you know, there’s so many other better Republican candidates out there… I feel bad for them, that that’s their option,” she said.

Logan polling place running ‘like well-oiled machine’ on a generator after power outage

A rural polling place in Logan County, West Virginia is running on a generator on Election Day due to no electricity in the area.

Logan County Clerk John Turner said that the generator was turned on at 5:30 a.m. in the Earling polling location near the Hatfield-McCoy Trail.

“I checked on the generator and all’s good until we get the power back on. It’s running like a well-oiled machine. And I took some flashlights up there,” he said. 

Turner thought a tree hit a transmission line on Monday, prompting the outage. Power is expected to be restored to the area before polls close at 7:30 p.m., he said. 

“The power may come back on, but we can’t take any chances,” Turner said, adding that voter turnout on Tuesday in his county had been busy. 

Roughly 13% of Logan County’s registered voters participated in early voting.

First time voters at WVU are anxious, excited

It’s an overcast afternoon at West Virginia University’s Mountainlair Student Union in Morgantown, West Virginia, and a melting pot of emotions is brewing in first-time voters. Some students are anxious while others are excited — but a majority of students note a combination of the two.

Harrison Eckley, an 18-year-old nursing student at WVU, expressed feelings of empowerment. He says the greater levels of education and political literacy in the new generation of voters makes him hopeful for the future.

Freshman Harper Broomall found the voting process overwhelming, but felt motivated by a desire to use his voice. Out-of-state students similarly note complexities of the absentee voter process.

All in all, student attitudes are looking about as mixed as the weather.

Harrison County school levy brings educators out to cast their vote

School teacher Amber Haddix stressed the importance of voting for the school levy at Simpson Creek Baptist youth building in Bridgeport, W.Va., this afternoon.

Haddix has been an educator in Harrison County for the past 14 years. She believes it is her civic duty to cast her vote and be an active participant in this year’s election.

“I’m fully in support of the levy,” Haddix said. “I think it provides so many opportunities for the youth of Harrison County, so I wanted to make sure that I was able to cast my vote in favor of that.”

The school levy has been in place since 1955, supporting students, parents and teachers alike. It helps pay for student’s lunch, textbooks, technology, student accident insurance and much more.

Haddix also said that she wishes for more candidates on the ballot that are “middle of the road,” because she doesn’t want the races to be so split between far right and far left.

“I am definitely a person that… I can see things from both sides,” she said.

Having candidates that are more blended in their ideology is what Haddix believes will help America mend itself back together.

Some voters in Morgantown feel their votes aren’t significant since West Virginia leans red

While locals view voting as a civic responsibility, some feel their vote is not significant — as Americans and as West Virginians.

Paul Carter, a service industry employee of 20 years, highlighted the necessity of civic participation, but feels his voice does not have a substantial impact in a majority Republican state.

Comparatively, Lauren Cheshire, a WVU research graduate student, emphasized local elections as a vital tool for change.

“Starting at a local level and working your way up, you’ll see more changes and get to know your community more, and that’s what America is based on  — community.”

Women’s reproductive rights are bringing West Virginians out to vote in Morgantown

Women’s reproductive rights are a standout issue for some voters at Morgantown’s BOPARC Community Center this morning.

“Women’s rights is basically what is on my mind,” said Jaime Hamisch, a 46-year-old optician who recently moved from Pennsylvania to West Virginia. She stressed the need for greater understanding of reproductive medical procedures.

Lauren Cheshire, a 28-year-old research graduate student at WVU, similarly named women’s reproductive rights as a key drive for casting her vote today.

Mon County commissioner candidate MaryAnn Folz campaigns outside polls

Republican Monongalia County commissioner candidate MaryAnn Folz campaigned outside of Mountainview Elementary School Tuesday morning to speak to voters. 

Folz said she chose to run for commissioner after moving back home to Morgantown two years ago, and decided to make Mountainview Elementary her first stop due to the proximity to where she grew up. 

“I looked around and some things are better and some things are worse. So I want to keep the momentum going on the things that are going well and fix the things that are broken,” she said. 

Folz said one goal of hers would be to create a more collaborative environment within the community. 

“I want to have… one meeting a month in a town hall where the community can come in and share their ideas on things that need to be addressed, or ideas for how we can fix things,” she said. 

Folz said drug addiction, homelessness, road maintenance and employment are all issues she wants to address. 

“I want to just make our town more attractive, the whole county more attractive,” she said. 

Polls are now open in West Virginia

Happy Election Day! Polls are now officially open as of 6:30 a.m. They will remain open until 7:30 p.m. Not sure what you need to bring with you or where to vote? We have a round up of important things to know here.

Not sure who is running or still undecided on some statewide races? You can check out our voter guide here.

There is one constitutional amendment on the ballot this year. The wording on amendments can be confusing, so read the difference between a yes and no vote here.