Friendly, West Virginia Public Records

While some Friendly residents commute to nearby cities for employment, the town's economy is largely self-sustaining, with a strong emphasis on preserving its rural character and close-knit community ties.

West Virginia residents can register to vote online through the West Virginia Secretary of State's website at https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register/Landing, which accommodates new registrations and updates to existing ones. The registration deadline falls 21 days before any election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, West Virginia residents, at least 17 years old (though they can't vote until 18), and must provide a valid West Virginia driver's license or ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Because the community is unincorporated and lacks municipal government, there are no city council or mayoral elections specific to the area. Instead, residents cast ballots in Tyler County Commission races, Board of Education elections, and state and federal contests. To locate their assigned polling place, voters can visit the West Virginia Secretary of State's Voter Registration & Poll Location Search at https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/FindMyPollingPlace or contact the Tyler County Clerk directly. Public election records in West Virginia include voter registration lists (available for purchase for legitimate election related purposes under W. Va. Code §3-2-30), campaign finance reports filed with the West Virginia Secretary of State's office (searchable at https://cfrs.wvsos.gov/), candidate filing information, and precinct-level election results published by the Tyler County Clerk and Secretary of State after each election. In the November 2024 presidential election, Tyler County reported approximately 3,800 registered voters with turnout estimated at 65-70%, reflecting typical high turnout for presidential elections in this Republican-leaning rural county. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, Tyler County voters will decide several significant races: West Virginia does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026 (Senator Joe Manchin's seat was decided in 2024, and Senator Shelley Moore Capito's seat is not up until 2026), but residents will elect their U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 1st Congressional District, all 100 members of the West Virginia House of Delegates (Tyler County is part of the 11th Delegate District), half of the 34-member West Virginia Senate (District 2 covers Tyler County), the Tyler County Commission (three commissioners serve staggered six-year terms), Tyler County Sheriff, County Clerk, Assessor, and Board of Education members. West Virginia allows absentee voting by mail for specific reasons enumerated in W. Va. Code §3-3-1, including age 65 or older, illness or physical disability, employment obligations, religious beliefs, election day service as a poll worker, or confinement in jail awaiting trial. Mail-in absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Tyler County Clerk no later than six days before the election, and completed ballots must be received by the close of polls on election day. Early in-person voting is available at the Tyler County Clerk's office beginning 13 days before any election and ending three days before election day, providing a convenient alternative to election day voting for residents making the trip to Middlebourne.