Ballot access requirements for political parties in West Virginia
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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in West Virginia, see this article.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: Chapter 3 of the West Virginia Code
In West Virginia, a political party is any affiliation of voters representing any principle or organization which, at the last preceding general election, polled for its candidate for governor at least 1 percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for that office in the state.[1]
The state allows independent candidates to select a political designation apart from those recognized by the state. A brief name of the party that the candidate represents must not be longer than five words and must be specified on the candidate's nominating petition form. A party can only be formed by running a candidate using a political party designation.[2][3]
Political parties
As of May 2024, the state of West Virginia officially recognized four political parties. [4]
Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
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Democratic Party of West Virginia | Link | Party platform |
Libertarian Party of West Virginia | Link | Party by-laws |
Mountain Party of West Virginia | Link | Party platform |
Republican Party of West Virginia | Link | Party platform |
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in West Virginia
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in West Virginia
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic Party of West Virginia
- Republican Party of West Virginia
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 3-1-8," accessed February 4, 2015
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Section 3-5-23(d)," accessed December 4, 2013
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Non-Party Affiliated Candidates," accessed December 4, 2013
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Recognized Political Parties," accessed May 15, 2024
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