Haywood, West Virginia Public Records

Residents may register to vote online through the West Virginia Secretary of State's voter registration portal at GoVoteWV.com, which allows new registrations and updates to existing registrations. West Virginia requires voter registration to be completed at least 21 days before any election. Acceptable forms of identification for registration include a valid West Virginia driver's license or state ID number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. First-time voters who registered by mail may be required to show identification when voting for the first time. Because the community is unincorporated without its own municipal government, there are no city council or mayoral elections specific to the area. Residents participate in Harrison County, state, and federal elections only. Voters can locate their assigned polling place using the online polling place lookup tool at GoVoteWV.com/FindMyPollingPlace, which requires entering name and date of birth or residential address. Polling places are assigned based on precinct boundaries established by Harrison County Clerk. Local polling locations have historically included community buildings and schools in or near the community, though specific locations may change and should be verified before each election. West Virginia election records available to the public include voter registration lists (available with restricted personal information redacted under West Virginia Code §3-2-30), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political committees (searchable through the West Virginia Secretary of State's Campaign Finance Reporting System), candidate filings and certifications, and precinct-level election results. The county clerk maintains historical election results for county and local races, while statewide results are compiled by the Secretary of State. In the November 2024 general election, Harrison County reported voter turnout of approximately 58% of registered voters, consistent with statewide patterns in presidential election years. Total votes cast in Harrison County exceeded 20,000 ballots across all precincts. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, Haywood and Harrison County voters will decide several significant races. West Virginia will not have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2026, but all three U.S. House seats will be on the ballot, with the area falling in West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. State-level races in 2026 will include all 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates and 17 of the 34 West Virginia State Senate seats (depending on district rotation). Harrison County offices on the 2026 ballot will include county commission seats, sheriff, county clerk, prosecuting attorney, assessor, and various other constitutional offices depending on term expirations. Voters should verify specific district boundaries and candidates as the election approaches through Harrison County Clerk's office. West Virginia allows absentee voting for voters who will be absent from the county on election day, who have a disability or illness, who are confined to a facility, who work during all hours polls are open and commute makes voting impossible, or who have religious beliefs or practices that prevent polling place voting. Absentee ballot applications are available through Harrison County Clerk's office or online at GoVoteWV.com and must be received by Harrison County Clerk no later than six days before election day. Voted absentee ballots must be returned by mail or in person to Harrison County Clerk's office by the close of polls on election day. West Virginia also offers early in-person voting beginning 13 days before election day and ending three days before election day at designated early voting locations announced by Harrison County Clerk for each election.