Hiawatha, West Virginia Public Records

West Virginia offers online voter registration through the Secretary of State's website at https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register/Landing, where eligible citizens can register or update their information. Registration must be submitted at least 21 days before any election. Online applicants need to provide their West Virginia driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. In-person registration remains available at the Mercer County Clerk's office, public libraries, and state agencies including the Division of Motor Vehicles. As an unincorporated community, Hiawatha has no municipal government structure and therefore holds no town-specific elections for mayor or council positions. Residents participate in county, state, and federal elections. The county holds elections for County Commission seats, county clerk, sheriff, assessor, prosecuting attorney, and other constitutional offices on a staggered schedule, with most positions carrying four-year terms. To find their assigned polling place on election day, voters can use the West Virginia Secretary of State's polling place lookup tool at https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/FindMyPollingPlace, which requires entering name and date of birth or residential address. Early in-person voting begins 13 days before election day and ends three days prior, with locations and hours posted by the Mercer County Clerk. The county, like much of southern West Virginia, has demonstrated strong Republican preference in recent federal contests. West Virginia will not have a U.S. Senate race in 2026, as Senators Manchin's successor elected in 2024 serves until 2030 and Senator Capito's term extends to 2027. All three of West Virginia's House seats will appear on the ballot; residents here vote in West Virginia's 1st Congressional District. State-level races will include seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates and potentially West Virginia Senate depending on the district cycle. Voters should consult the Mercer County Clerk's office or the Secretary of State's website at https://sos.wv.gov/elections for confirmed candidate filings and ballot questions. West Virginia permits absentee voting by mail for voters meeting specified criteria including being 65 or older, illness or disability, working during all hours polls are open, or being absent from the county on election day. Absentee ballot applications are available through the Mercer County Clerk or online at https://sos.wv.gov/elections. Applications must reach the Mercer County Clerk by six days before the election for mail delivery, though emergency absentee ballots are available under certain conditions. Publicly accessible election records include voter registration lists (available by request with use restrictions), campaign finance reports filed with the West Virginia Secretary of State's office, candidate filing information, and precinct-level results. The Secretary of State publishes election results online at https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/ElectionReturns.aspx, typically within hours of polls closing for unofficial tallies and after official canvass for certified counts. Campaign finance records for state and local candidates can be searched at https://cfrs.wvsos.gov.