 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
These pages are being maintained by Stephen Rowe at: rowe@concord.edu |
||
|
Last Update : 03/11/2008 |
||
|
|
|
|
POLITICAL PARTIES IN WEST VIRGINIA What is a political party? |
||
|
In West Virginia, a political party is defined as an organization whose gubernatorial candidate polled l% of the total votes for governor in the last general election. How do I become a member of a political party? You select your political party when you register to vote. You may change your party affiliation by filing, no later than 30 days before the election, a new voter registration application form. This registration allows you to vote in the Primary Election for your party. Why do political parties need Primary Elections? l. To allow party members to choose nominees for the General Election ballot. 2. To allow the members of each party to elect executive committees to direct the activities of the party at the county, state, and national levels. These executive committees are: County State Congressional District State Senatorial District State Delegate District How are committee members elected? Every four years the voting members of each party elect the party committees for a term of four years. COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE One man and one woman are elected from each magisterial district in a county with more than three magisterial districts. Two men and two women are elected from each district in a county with three or fewer magisterial districts. The county committee of the two largest parties chooses for each precinct in the county two party members to work as election officials on election day. The county commission appoints the fifth official to work in the precinct. STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Two men and two women from each of the seventeen state senatorial districts are elected in the primary elections. In a multi-county district no more than two may be from the same county. The elected members then choose three additional members and the committee officers. CONGRESSIONAL, STATE SENATORIAL, AND DELEGATE DISTRICT COMMITTEES One man and one woman from each district are elected to each of these committees. If a district includes only one county, the county committee fulfills the duties of the Senatorial and Delegate committees. In case of a vacancy to fill an unexpired term for State Senate or House of Delegates, the appropriate party committee submits a list of three nominees to the Governor. The Governor makes his selection from this list. The appointee holds office until the next general election. What are the basic responsibilities of the Party Executive Committees? l. Appoint election officials (county committees). 2. Choose nominees for the general election ballot when no one has filed for the primary election. 3. Promote the election of the party's nominees. 4. Raise funds to conduct campaigns on behalf of the nominees. 5. Conduct registration campaigns. 6. Increase party membership. 7. Increase voting by party membership in local, state and national elections. 8. Arrange for local and state conventions. 9. Select delegates to state and national conventions. l0. Select nominees for unexpired terms. How can I be an active party member? l. Identify candidates for party committees. 2. Volunteer to work for a committee. 3. Seek election to a committee. 4. Campaign for your choice of committee members. 5. Get to know your elected committee members. 6. Promote your party's candidates in the General Election. 7. Apply to the committee to work in elections. 8. Help with party fund-raising. INDEPENDENT AND THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES Those wishing to run for office, but not as a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian, must use nominating petitions to get on the general election ballot. For information on the procedure, contact the Circuit Clerk in your county or the Secretary of State's Office, 304-558-6000. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
|
||