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SB 572WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill SB 572 Authorizes High School Students to Serve as Election Official Trainees

Original title: Allowing election official trainees to be appointed as election officials

Last action · January 21, 2026: To JudiciarySponsor: Darren Thorne

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

West Virginia allows governing bodies to establish an program that appoints qualified high school juniors and seniors as election officials. Trainees must maintain a 3.0 GPA, have parental approval, complete official training, and choose a political party affiliation.

Why it matters

Changes who can staff polling places by permitting secondary school students to serve in official election roles without being marked absent from school, provided they meet specific academic and conduct requirements.

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.

Directly affected

High school juniors and seniors

Students meeting academic and training requirements become eligible to serve as election officials and receive excused absences from school on service days.

Directly affected

County and municipal election authorities

Governing bodies gain the authority to establish trainee programs and appoint qualified secondary school students to staff polling places.

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

Who is eligible to become an election official trainee under this bill?

High school juniors and seniors in good standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale who have parental approval, meet general statutory qualifications, and complete the election official training program.

How many student trainees can serve in a single precinct?

No more than one qualifying under this subsection may serve per political party per precinct.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.

Procedural history

4 actions

Jan 21, 2026SenateCommittee
To Judiciary
Jan 21, 2026SenateIntroduced
Introduced in Senate
Jan 21, 2026SenateCommittee
To Judiciary
Jan 21, 2026SenateIntroduced
Filed 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.

Connected Entities

Darren Thorne

PersonDarren Thorne“Senator who introduced SB 572”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 40)
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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