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West Virginia 2022 ballot measures
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Four statewide ballot measures were certified to appear on the ballot in West Virginia on November 8, 2022. Voters rejected all four measures.
- an amendment saying that no state court has any authority over impeachment proceedings or judgments;
- an amendment that would have permitted the incorporation of religious denominations and churches; and
- an amendment that would have authorized the state legislature to exempt personal property (machinery, equipment, and inventory) used for business activity from ad valorem property taxes.
On the ballot
| Type | Title | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | States that no state court has authority over impeachment proceedings or judgments |
|
196,519 (42%) |
269,316 (58%) |
|
| Amendment 2 | Authorizes the Legislature to exempt personal property used for business activity from property taxes |
|
170,013 (35%) |
309,007 (65%) |
|
| Amendment 3 | Amend constitution to provide for the incorporation of religious denominations and churches |
|
211,147 (45%) |
253,379 (55%) |
|
| Amendment 4 | Require the state's board of education to submit proposed rules to the the Legislature to approve, amend, or reject |
|
200,791 (42%) |
275,683 (58%) |
Referral of 2022 ballot measures
The following table illustrates the vote requirements for the legislative referrals certified for the ballot, the votes that the referrals received, and how Democrats and Republicans voted on the referrals in each legislative chamber:
| West Virginia Authorize Tax Exemptions for Vehicles and Personal Property Used for Business Amendment | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 23 | Yes votes: 29 (85.3%) | No votes: 5 (14.7%) | Yes: 7; No: 4 | Yes: 22; No: 1 |
| House: | Required: 67 | Yes votes: 84 (84.0%) | No votes: 16 (16.0%) | Yes: 8; No: 15 | Yes: 76; No: 1 |
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens
West Virginia does not provide for citizen initiatives or veto referendums.
Legislature
To refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot, each chamber of the state Legislature must pass the amendment by a two-thirds vote during one legislative session.
The state Legislature's 2021 session ran from February 10 to April 10, 2021. The 2022 session was from January 12 to March 12, 2022.
Below are the vote totals and party breakdowns for constitutional amendments certified for the 2022 ballot:
| West Virginia Authorize Tax Exemptions for Vehicles and Personal Property Used for Business Amendment | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 23 | Yes votes: 29 (85.3%) | No votes: 5 (14.7%) | Yes: 7; No: 4 | Yes: 22; No: 1 |
| House: | Required: 67 | Yes votes: 84 (84.0%) | No votes: 16 (16.0%) | Yes: 8; No: 15 | Yes: 76; No: 1 |
2020 state legislative elections
During the 2021 legislative session, Republicans held a 23-11 majority in the Senate and a 76-24 majority in the House, which means Republicans had the two-thirds majority required to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in both chambers. There were no state legislative elections before the 2022 legislative session.
Before the November 2020 elections, Republicans held 20 seats in the Senate and 58 seats in the House, which means they needed at least three votes from Democrats in the Senate and nine votes from Democrats in the House to refer constitutional amendments to the ballot.
Historical facts
- See also: List of West Virginia ballot measures
In West Virginia, a total of 23 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2018. Fourteen ballot measures were approved, and 9 ballot measures were defeated.
| West Virginia statewide ballot measures, 1985-2018 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
Local ballot measures
- See also: West Virginia 2022 local ballot measures
Click here to read more about 2022 local ballot measures in West Virginia.
Not on the ballot
| Type | Name | Topic | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Term Limits for Certain Executive Offices Amendment | Term limits | Limits the number of terms for secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney general, and commissioner of agriculture to no more than three consecutive terms | 
|
| LRCA | State Legislative Term Limits Amendment | Term limits | Limits the number of terms for state senators to three consecutive and for state delegates to six consecutive terms beginning in 2025 |
|
| LRCA | Right to Firearms Amendment | Firearms | Prohibits county or municipalities from adopting ordinances that are more restrictive than state law regarding the sale, transfer, possession, use, storage, taxation, registration, licensing, or carrying firearms |
|
| LRCA | Disabled Veterans Additional Property Tax Exemptions Amendment | Veterans | Authorizes the state legislature to pass laws that exempt disabled veterans from paying all or part of ad valorem real property taxes on their residence |
|
See also
 |
State of West Virginia Charleston (capital) |
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