The bill introduced on January 19, 2026, seeks to amend the Code of West Virginia to improve voting accessibility for disabled voters. Key provisions include allowing registered voters who cannot physically sign their names to have their mark affixed by a poll clerk, and enabling voters to present valid identification documents, including expired ones for those aged 65 and older. It also permits registered voters to be accompanied by an adult who can sign an affidavit affirming their identity if they lack valid identification. Additionally, voters residing in state-licensed care facilities are exempt from presenting identification when voting. The bill further facilitates the transfer of a disabled voter's registration to a more accessible polling place and mandates that county clerks provide unmarked envelopes for transferred ballots to maintain confidentiality.

Moreover, the bill aims to eliminate barriers for disabled voters by amending absentee voting criteria. It removes the requirement that a person receiving assistance must be unable to read the ballot due to illiteracy or be physically disabled to the extent that they cannot see or mark the ballot. The bill also clarifies that absentee voters who are citizens residing outside the U.S., members of the uniformed services, or college students living outside their home county are not subject to challenges based on their voting status. It revises the grounds for challenges to absentee ballots, consolidating existing criteria to ensure challenges are based on specific legal grounds, and mandates that any challenged absentee ballots be sent to the county commission for review. Overall, these changes are designed to enhance accessibility and protect the voting rights of individuals with disabilities.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 3-1-34, 3-3-10