The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia House Bill 5225 criminalizes operating drones over polling places on election day
Last action · February 5, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsors: Joe Funkhouser and 4 others
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia House Bill 5225 prohibits any person from operating an above the grounds of a polling place or within 100 feet of its entrance on election day, establishing the violation as a punishable by fines up to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both.
Voters and drone operators face criminal penalties, including jail time and fines, for flying aircraft near voting locations during elections.
- West Virginia Code §61-16 governs the state's laws regarding the use and restrictions of unmanned aircraft systems. context
- House Bill 5225 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. 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.
drone operators
Operators are prohibited from flying unmanned aerial vehicles near polling places on election day under threat of misdemeanor criminal penalties.
voters
Voters gain restricted airspace around polling locations, limiting potential surveillance or disruption while casting ballots.
law-enforcement personnel
Law enforcement officers are granted specific exemptions from the article's restrictions when conducting official duties in compliance with constitutional standards.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the penalty for flying a drone near a polling place on election day under HB 5225?
Are news organizations or law enforcement exempt from the drone restrictions?
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 House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 5, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Feb 5, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Feb 5, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 5, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled 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.
Expansion of Unmanned Aircraft Restrictions to Elections
The bill amends existing West Virginia drone statutes (Code §61-16-2), which previously targeted privacy invasions, harassment, and harassment of critical facilities, to explicitly incorporate election day polling place protections.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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