Elections
2010 will be another important election year in West Virginia, with key races for a seat on the state Supreme Court, 17 of the 34 members of the state Senate and all 100 members of the West Virginia House of Delegates.
2008 Election Overview: Provided is a link to complete election results and analysis.
Election Resources
Political Activism
Provided are a number of “activism” tips for business people to keep in mind when getting politically involved.
1) Be Informed
- Stay abreast of issues by reading Chamber LINKS and the Chamber’s legislative reports and alerts. These will contain valuable information and background.
- If you are not sure who are the candidates, go to
Candidates (searchable) - http://www.wvsos.com/elections/candidates/data/candidatesearch.asp
Offices on the ballot - http://www.wvsos.com/elections/offices/officesdetail.htm
Political Districts and Circuits in WV - http://www.wvsos.com/elections/offices/districts.htm
To find out who represents you in the West Virginia Legislature, then go to a U.S. Chamber web site (click to see) and put in your work or home zip code or view these maps:
- State Senate
- House of Delegates
2) Register to Vote and VOTE!
If you have changed your address, are new to the state or have moved, please remember to register to vote: http://www.wvsos.com/elections/voters/registernow.htm
3) Talk to the Candidates
- When contacting a candidate about an issue, make sure you focus on one issue at a time and identify any policy or bill (S. 223) that is important to you.
- Keep interaction with candidates local, keep it personal, keep it concise. Provide specific examples of how issues or concerns you have will impact your business and employees.
- Take time to invite candidates to your work location so they can hear directly from you and your employees.
- When an issue is particularly important, write a short letter to the editor and send it to your local newspaper. These are read and trac ked by candidates.
4) Political Contributions
If you are interested in supporting a candidate, financial contributions are always appreciated and needed. In West Virginia , an individual may provide only personal financial contributions, and the maximum amount is $1,000 per candidate. Candidates are required to list the address and occupation of individuals who provide contributions of $200 or more.
Another way to participate in the political process is to provide a personal financial contribution to a political action committee (PAC). Again, the maximum amount an individual may contribute is $1,000 to a particular PAC.