The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill 902 removes barriers to voting for disabled voters
Last action · February 10, 2026: To JudiciarySponsors: Joey Garcia and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Senator Garcia introduced Senate Bill 902 in West Virginia to modify voting procedures and absentee ballot rules to assist disabled voters. The bill amends sections of Chapter 3 of the West Virginia Code regarding voting assistance, registration transfers for inaccessible polling places, and ballot challenges.
The measure alters how disabled voters request precinct transfers for accessibility, cast s, and obtain voting assistance, directly affecting individuals with disabilities and election officials across West Virginia.
- Senate Bill 902 was introduced during the 2026 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
disabled voters
The bill changes procedures for polling place accessibility transfers, provisional voting, and assistance options.
county clerks and election officials
Officials must handle transfer requests, process provisional ballots for handicapped voters, and manage updated challenge procedures.
Key Facts
- Allows a handicapped person whose registered precinct is not handicap accessible to request a transfer of registration to the nearest accessible polling place no later than 30 days prior to an election.
- Provides that a handicapped person who has not requested a transfer 30 days prior may vote a provisional ballot at a handicap-accessible polling place in their county of registration.
- Modifies provisions regarding voter assistance for voters unable to vote without assistance due to blindness, disability, advanced age, or inability to read and write.
- Updates grounds under §3-3-10 upon which absentee ballots may be challenged by election officials and poll workers.
Show all 5 facts
- Requires the Secretary of State to educate voters about valid identifying document requirements and develop programs to help eligible voters obtain them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a disabled voter's assigned polling place is not accessible?
Who can assist a voter who requires help filling out a ballot?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 10, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 10, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Accessibility and Provisional Voting Adjustments
The bill formalizes alternative voting mechanisms for residents assigned to inaccessible polling places.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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