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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill Requires Publication of Ballot Images and Voter Verification Marks
Last action · February 10, 2026: To JudiciarySponsors: Patricia Rucker and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia election officials must capture and publish ballot images and s online, and voters may voluntarily add a unique mark to identify their ballot. County officials must provide these records to the Secretary of State, who must publish them by precinct within 24 hours of receipt.
Enables citizens and election officials to independently verify ballot tabulation through publicly accessible precinct-level digital records while establishing voluntary voter-identification methods.
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.
West Virginia voters
Voters gain the option to voluntarily add a unique mark to their ballot for personal verification and have their anonymous ballot images published online.
County election officials
Officials must enable ballot-image capturing functionality on electronic voting systems and transmit records to the Secretary of State after the close of canvass.
Secretary of State
The office is required to receive precinct-level ballot images and cast vote records from counties and publish them online within 24 hours.
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
Can my ballot be rejected if I choose not to add a unique mark?
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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 then Finance
- 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.
Transition to Public Digital Ballot Records
The legislation marks a significant shift by requiring raw ballot images and cast vote records to be published publicly on a precinct basis.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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