FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2025
Contact: Jillian Welsh, Communications Coordinator — West Virginia Citizen Action Group
jillian@wvcag.org | 562-305-5769
Statement from West Virginia Citizen Action Group on HB 2117:
HB 2117 Disenfranchises Voters and Undermines Election Access
Charleston, WV — West Virginia Citizen Action Group (WV CAG) strongly opposes HB 2117, a bill that unfairly penalizes eligible voters who rely on the U.S. Postal Service to return their ballots. By requiring absentee ballots to be received (rather than postmarked) by 7:30 PM on Election Day, this bill effectively disenfranchises seniors, people with disabilities, and West Virginians working or studying out of state.
“HB 2117 disregards West Virginia’s strong election safeguards, pushing baseless conspiracy nonsense that wastes time and ignores real issues. Instead of solving problems, it attacks voters and makes it harder for eligible West Virginians to cast their ballots,” said Julie Archer, WV CAG Deputy Director. “Supporters pointed to restrictive voting laws in other states to justify the bill—laws born from the same baseless hysteria over voter fraud that this legislature seems hell-bent on keeping alive.”
HB 2117 Undermines Election Integrity
West Virginia’s election process already includes strong safeguards. The canvass—a legally required process—ensures that all votes are reviewed, corrected, and accurately recorded before certification. The Secretary of State’s Canvassing and Recount Manual describes this process as:
“A proceeding required by law in which the materials, equipment, and results of an election are reviewed, corrected, and officially recorded prior to the certification of the election.”
Election officials need time to ensure all legitimate votes are counted.
HB 2117 would eliminate the current rule allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received before the canvass begins. This change rushes election officials, discards valid votes, and weakens trust in the process.
Criminalizing Voter Assistance
HB 2117 goes even further by criminalizing the distribution of absentee ballot applications—a public document on the Secretary of State’s website. This unfairly targets and punishes election officials and others simply for helping people exercise their right to vote. This could have a chilling effect on voter outreach, preventing seniors and people in poor health from getting the assistance they need to vote.
Part of a Broader Trend to Limit Access to Voting
West Virginia is not alone in facing restrictive voting laws. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 22 states have imposed new limits on absentee voting since 2020. These laws shorten the window to request or return ballots, restrict ballot drop box availability, and create unnecessary obstacles for voters. From the Brennan Center for Justice, Voting Laws Roundup: September 2024:
“Limits on mail and absentee voting have been the most prevalent restrictions implemented in the last four years. Voters in at least 22 states will face 38 new restrictions on their ability to vote absentee that were not in place in 2020. These new laws curtail access to absentee ballots in several ways, including by shortening the window to apply for or return a mail ballot, restricting assistance in returning a mail ballot or mail ballot application, reducing the availability of mail ballot drop boxes, barring election officials from sending mail ballot applications or ballots to voters who did not specifically request them, imposing stricter signature requirements for mail ballots, and shortening the period during which voters can fix signature issues.”
This conspiracy-based nonsense diverts time and attention from solving the many real problems facing our state while making it harder for eligible West Virginians to vote.