West Virginia Voting Records online consist of voter registration lists. Indexed collections will be the easiest to search; image-only collections will contain the most information.

 

In the United States voting rights have always come with limitations. In the 1700s and early 1800s, voting rights were restricted primarily to white men who owned property and some states restricted voting rights even further.

 

During the 1800s voting rights restrictions were gradually reduced and voters didn’t need to own property and, after 1870, race was not a qualification to vote but some states still restricted voting through poll taxes (a tax paid to vote which affected the less affluent), literacy tests, all-white primaries, and language requirements.

 

The 1900s saw the greatest expansion of voting rights including:

  • rights were extended to women (1920)

  • the Voting Rights Acts to prevent additional prohibitive voting laws (1965)

  • poll taxes were banned in the U.S. by the Supreme Court (1966) 

  • the right to vote for anyone 18 years old or older (1971)

  • protection for language minorities (1975)

  • protection for people with disabilities (1982)

  • and simplified voter registration (1993).

 

Voting records may include:

  • name

  • physical description of person

  • age

  • gender

  • registration date

  • dates voted

  • residence

  • marital status

  • property ownership

  • occupation

  • place of birth

  • citizenship status, if naturalized, date, court

 

 

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KEY to collections

 

 

West Virginia Voting Records online

Fayette County – Voting Registers – List of Male Persons Between the Ages of Eighteen and Forty-five : 1872, at FS

Fayette County – Voting Registers – Names of Persons Voting and Tally of Votes : 1867, at FS

Fayette County – Voting Registers – Poll Books : 1890, at FS

Fayette County – Voting Registers – Register of Name of Voters : 1866, at FS

Marion County – Voting Registers – List of Voters of Marion County, W. VA., 1888, (Mannington District), at FS

Monongalia County – Voting Registers – 1803 Voters List, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia, at FS

Pendleton County – Voting Registers – Births, 1853-1862; Deaths, 1853-1892; Land Owners; 1789-1804; Voters, 1790-1797; Surveys, 1789-1797; Marriages, 1843-1899; Wills, Etc., 1791-1818, 1825-1899, at FS

Pendleton County – Voting Registers – Poll Book, 1790-1802; Land Records, 1817-1818, at FS

Randolph County – Voting Registers – List of Voters, Second District : 1890, at FS

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