Final Preps Underway For 2026 Election: What To Know

Across the state, polls open for the 2026 general election on Tuesday at 6:30 a.m.

Something that’s different from previous general elections? This will be the first general election in West Virginia in which voters can be asked to show identification.

“If the poll worker knows you, then they are not required to ask you for a photo ID, but the advice should be bring to your photo ID because you’ll be asked for that,” Secretary of State Kris Warner said.

Seventeen people from Warner’s office will be staggered across the state to observe elections in all 55 counties to ensure compliance with election procedures.

“In addition to the 17 directly out of our office, there will be a couple hundred Fusion liaison officers and these are citizens that have signed up to report their experience at the polling location. And then they report back to the Fusion Center,” Warner said.

The Fusion Center is a collaborative effort involved two or more law enforcement agencies and private entities working together to detect and prevent criminal and terrorist activity.

Warner’s office keeps a direct line of communication with the Fusion Center as well as state and federal law enforcement to ensure a timely response to any problems.

Polls close at 7:30 p.m. but Warner said anyone standing in line to vote at that time will still be able to cast their ballot.

“The ballots are then transferred to the election center. Most often it’s at the courthouse or the annex, and that’s where they actually tabulate the votes on election night,” he said. “And then county clerks will post on an ongoing basis the vote totals from each of their counties.”

Those results are unofficial until canvassing takes place in the days after the election to ensure the votes were counted correctly. The public can report suspicious activity by calling 877-372-8398, that’s 1-877-FRAUD-WV or text WV to 45995 from your mobile device.