West Virginia Unveils New Online Voter Registration System

The Hub is passionate believer in the idea that a strong and effective democracy is one in which as many people are involved as possible. Whether it’s as candidates for office or as voters, a democracy can only be truly representative if lots of voices are weighing in.

A key ingredient here is making it as easy as possible for citizens to register to vote. Which is why we were thrilled to see the West Virginia Secretary of State, Natalie E. Tennant, launch a new online voter registration system this year.

In the first month since its inception, the online voter registration (OVR) system has received 1,082 new voter registration applications and information updates for already-registered voters.

We expect this number to continue to rise over the months and years to come. As Secretary Tennant notes, our society has come to expect technological advances, and these are happening in the election process as well as in many other facets of our day-to-day lives.

“We’re proud to be able to meet those expectations while still maintaining the security of our election process,” Secretary Tennant says.

Check out the online voter registration system at the Secretary’s very handy one-stop register to vote webpage: ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register

For those of you more of the old-school vibe, that’s good too. Eligible voters are still able to register to vote by paper and mail it or take it to their county clerk. They can also download a paper voter registration form from the Secretary of State’s website or pick up an application from their local county clerk.

Way to go, West Virginia.