---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to elections"
description: "Relating to elections"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 481"
citation: "West Virginia SB 481 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Woodrum"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 41
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-19"
last_action: "2026-06-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/72e3237c-f71c-46e3-8219-9ea06babb0ad"
source_url: "https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=481&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "8a195cf2b4cde18a188b5734b83358ad0267ee95a2b3575b362b001ce1605466"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wv"]
---

# West Virginia SB 481 (2026) — Relating to elections

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb481%20sub1.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=481)
2. **Enrolled Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb481%20sub1%20enr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=481)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb481%20intr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=481)

## Votes

- EFFECT FROM PASSAGE — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- PASSAGE — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage — **33–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Woodrum — primary (person)
- Hamilton — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-19** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-01-19** To Government Organization then Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2026-01-19** To Government Organization `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-23** Committee substitute reported, but first to Judiciary
- **2026-01-23** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-02** Reported do pass `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-02** Immediate consideration
- **2026-03-02** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-03-03** On 2nd reading
- **2026-03-03** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-04** On 3rd reading
- **2026-03-04** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-04** Passed Senate (Roll No. 325) `passage`
- **2026-03-04** Ordered to House
- **2026-03-05** House received Senate message
- **2026-03-05** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2026-03-05** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-05** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-09** Markup Discussion
- **2026-03-10** Do pass
- **2026-03-10** Immediate consideration
- **2026-03-10** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-03-11** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-03-11** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-12** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-03-12** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-12** Passed House (Roll No. 420) `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Effective from passage (Roll No. 421)
- **2026-03-12** Communicated to Senate
- **2026-03-13** House Message received
- **2026-03-13** Senate concurred in House changed effective date
- **2026-03-13** Effective from passage (Roll No. 597)
- **2026-03-13** Communicated to House
- **2026-03-12** Completed legislative action
- **2026-03-18** To Governor 3/18/2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-14** To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-25** Approved by Governor 3/25/2026 `executive-signature`
- **2026-03-14** Approved by Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate Journal `executive-signature`
- **2026-03-14** Approved by Governor 3/25/2026 - House Journal `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-25** Chapter 131, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/72e3237c-f71c-46e3-8219-9ea06babb0ad`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).