H. B. 2638


(By Delegate Azinger)
[Introduced February 4, 1999; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]




A BILL to amend and reenact section one, article five, chapter three of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to changing the state primary election date.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section one, article five, chapter three of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND NOMINATING PROCEDURES.
 §3-5-1. Time and place of holding primary elections in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty and thereafter; hours polls open.
Primary elections shall be held at the voting place in each of the voting precincts in the state, for the purposes set forth in this article, on the second Tuesday in May in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-six March, in the year two thousand, or on the Tuesday at least seven days immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election, whichever is earlier and in each second year thereafter.
At such election the polls shall be opened and closed at the hours provided for opening and closing the polls in a general election.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to change the state primary election date to the date of the earliest primary election in any of the other states.

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