WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5384

By Delegates Ridenour, Steele, Martin, Foster, Hillenbrand, Ward, Phillips, Mallow, Marple, Warner, and Dean

[Introduced January 31, 2024; Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §3-5-6e of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to changing the date for election of judges of the Intermediate Court of Appeals to the same date as the general election.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 5. PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND NOMINATING PROCEDURES.

§3-5-6e. Election of judges of the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

(a) The Legislature finds that representative democracy works best when the largest number of eligible voters participate in an election.  The Legislature also finds that far more eligible voters participate in general elections than primary elections.

(b) An election for the purpose of electing a Judge or Judges of the Intermediate Court of Appeals shall be held on the same date as the primary general election, as provided by law, upon a nonpartisan ballot by division printed for this purpose.  

(b) (c) In case of a tie vote under this section, §3-6-12 of this code controls in breaking the tie vote.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to change the date for election of judges of the Intermediate Court of Appeals to the same date as the general election.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.