Forest Hill, West Virginia Public Records

West Virginia residents can register to vote online at https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register/Landing, by mail using a voter registration application, or in person at the Summers County Clerk's office. Registration must be completed 21 days before Election Day. Voters must be U.S. Citizens, West Virginia residents, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently under conviction or serving a sentence for a felony, though voting rights are restored after completion of sentence including parole and probation. Acceptable forms of ID include a West Virginia driver's license, state ID card, passport, military ID, student ID from a West Virginia institution, or other government-issued photo identification. Those without acceptable ID can sign an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot. As an unincorporated community, Forest Hill has no municipal government and holds no city elections for mayor or town council. All elections for residents occur at the county, state legislative, and federal levels. Summers County holds elections for County Commission, with three commissioners elected to staggered six-year terms, along with Sheriff, County Clerk, and Assessor, all serving four-year terms. These elections take place during the general election in even-numbered years. West Virginia holds gubernatorial elections in presidential election years, most recently in 2024 with the next in 2028. State legislative elections occur every two years for the House of Delegates, with all 100 seats contested, and half of the State Senate seats, with 17 of 34 seats in each cycle. Residents can find their assigned polling place using the West Virginia Secretary of State's polling place lookup tool at https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/FindMyPollingPlace. Voters enter their name and date of birth or their residential address to locate their specific precinct and polling location. Polling places in rural areas like the community are often located in community centers, fire stations, or schools. Election records publicly available in West Virginia include voter registration lists, available with restrictions under West Virginia Code §3-2-30 for legitimate election purposes only, campaign finance reports filed with the West Virginia State Elections Division at https://cfrs.wvsos.gov, candidate filings and ballot access petitions, and precinct-level election results. The West Virginia Secretary of State publishes official election results at https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV, showing vote totals by county and precinct for all races. In the November 2024 presidential election, Summers County reported approximately 5,200 ballots cast out of roughly 8,000 registered voters, representing a turnout rate of approximately 65%. As is typical in rural West Virginia counties, the electorate strongly favored Republican candidates, with Donald Trump receiving over 75% of the vote. Turnout in midterm and special elections is typically lower, ranging from 30-50% of registered voters. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature several critical races for Forest Hill and Summers County voters. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito's seat is not up in 2026, with her next election in 2026, but U.S. Senator Joe Manchin's seat will be on the ballot, though he announced retirement and the seat is being contested. All three of West Virginia's U.S. House seats will be on the ballot, with the area located in the 3rd Congressional District currently represented by Congressman Carol Miller. The West Virginia Governor's race will also be on the 2026 ballot, with gubernatorial elections occurring every four years and the last in 2024. All 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates and 17 of 34 State Senate seats will be contested. At the Summers County level, several Summers County offices including Sheriff, County Clerk, and potentially County Commission seats may be up for election depending on the cycle. Voters should check with the Summers County Clerk's office or the Secretary of State website closer to the election for a complete sample ballot. West Virginia offers absentee voting by mail for voters who qualify under specific circumstances outlined in West Virginia Code §3-3-1, including being absent from the county on Election Day due to business, work, or personal reasons; illness or physical disability; working and commuting on Election Day during all hours polls are open; religious beliefs or practices; election official working at another polling place; incarceration in jail awaiting trial or for misdemeanor conviction; or age 65 or older. Early in-person voting is available at the Summers County Clerk's office and designated satellite locations beginning 13 days before Election Day and ending three days before Election Day. Absentee ballot applications must be received by the Summers County Clerk no later than six days before the election, though earlier submission is strongly encouraged. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted.