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West Virginia elections, 2012
| Other elections | |
|---|---|
| View elections by state and year: | |
| Contents |
|---|
| 1 2012 Elections |
| 2 Eligibility to Vote |
| 2.1 Primary election |
| 2.2 General election |
| 3 Voting absentee |
| 3.1 Eligibility |
| 3.2 Deadlines |
| 3.3 Military and overseas voting |
| 4 Voting early |
| 5 See also |
| 6 References |
The state of West Virginia held elections in 2012. Below are the dates of note:
- Signature filing deadline: January 28, 2012
- Primary date: May 8, 2012
- General election date: November 6, 2012
| On the 2012 ballot | Click here for all November 6, 2012 Election Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate (1 seat) | 
|
Preview Article | |
| U.S. House (3 seats) |
| ||
| State Executives (6 positions) |
|
Preview Article | |
| State Senate (17 seats) |
|
Preview Article | |
| State House (100 seats) |
| ||
| Ballot measures (1 measure) |
|
- | |
2012 Elections
For election results in the 50 states, see our November 6, 2012 election results page
Elections by type
U.S. Senate
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Joe Manchin III Incumbent |
60.6% | 399,898 | |
| Republican | John R. Raese | 36.5% | 240,787 | |
| Mountain | Bob Henry Baber | 3% | 19,517 | |
| Total Votes | 660,202 | |||
| Source: U.S. House Clerk "2012 Election Statistics" | ||||
U.S. House
In 2012, West Virginia received an additional seat from redistricting.
| Members of the U.S. House from West Virginia -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 1 | 1 | |
| Republican Party | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 3 | 3 | |
| District | General Election Candidates | Incumbent | 2012 Winner | Partisan Switch? |
| 1st |  Sue Thorn David McKinley |
David McKinley | David McKinley |
No |
| 2nd | Howard Swint Shelley Moore Capito |
Shelley Moore Capito | Shelley Moore Capito |
No |
| 3rd | Nick Rahall Rick Snuffer |
Nick Rahall | Nick Rahall |
No |
State Executives
There were a total of six state executive positions up for election.
| Governor of West Virginia General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Earl Ray Tomblin Incumbent |
50.4% | 284,758 | |
| Republican | Bill Maloney | 45.7% | 258,376 | |
| Mountain | Jesse Johnson | 2.6% | 14,614 | |
| Libertarian | David Moran | 1.4% | 7,653 | |
| Total Votes | 565,401 | |||
| Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center | ||||
| West Virginia Secretary of State General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Natalie Tennant Incumbent |
62.4% | 339,235 | |
| Republican | Brian Savilla | 37.6% | 204,440 | |
| Total Votes | 543,675 | |||
| Election results West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center | ||||
| Attorney General of West Virginia General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Darrell McGraw Incumbent | 48.8% | 267,135 | |
| Republican | Patrick Morrisey |
51.2% | 280,695 | |
| Total Votes | 547,830 | |||
| Election results West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center | ||||
| West Virginia Treasurer General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | John Perdue Incumbent |
55.3% | 295,996 | |
| Republican | Mike Hall | 44.7% | 238,850 | |
| Total Votes | 534,846 | |||
| Election results West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center | ||||
| West Virginia State Auditor General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Glen Gainer Incumbent |
57.5% | 303,240 | |
| Republican | Larry Faircloth | 42.5% | 224,517 | |
| Total Votes | 527,757 | |||
| Election results West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center | ||||
| West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Walt Helmick |
51.5% | 268,879 | |
| Republican | Kent Leonhardt | 48.5% | 252,783 | |
| Total Votes | 521,662 | |||
| Election results West Virginia Secretary of State Election Results Center | ||||
State Senate
Heading into the election, Democrats maintained partisan control in the state senate.
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 28 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | 10 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
State House
Heading into the election, Democrats maintained partisan control in the state house.
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 65 | 54 | |
| Republican Party | 35 | 46 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Ballot measures
- See also: West Virginia 2012 ballot measures
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Amendment 1 | Admin of gov't | Would end term limits for county sheriffs |  |
Eligibility to Vote
Primary election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 primary elections
West Virginia used a mostly closed primary system, although unaffiliated voters and members of minor parties could vote in Republican or Democratic primaries. Voters had to register to vote in the primary by April 17, 2012, which was 21 days before the primary took place.[1] (Information about registering to vote (dead link))
General election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 general elections
The deadline to register to vote was 21 days prior to the election day, which in 2012 was October 16.[2]
- Voter ID info
- Residency requirements: Resident of West Virginia and the county in which registering.[2]
- Same-day registration: None
Voting absentee
- See also: Absentee Voting
Voters in West Virginia are eligible to vote absentee in an election "if the voter is 'confined,' or not in their home county, for the entire duration of in-person voting (both the early voting period and on Election Day)," for one of the following reasons:[3]
- “Injury or illness”
- “Disability or 'extreme advanced age'”
- “Incarceration or home detention (does not include individuals convicted of any felony, treason, or election bribery)”
- “Work hours and distance from county seat”
- “Inaccessible early voting site and polling place”
- “Personal or business travel”
- “Attendance at college or other place of education or training”
- “Temporary residence outside of the county”
- “Service as an elected or appointed state or federal official”
To vote absentee, a request must be received by the county clerk no later than the sixth day prior to the election.[4]
Voting early
- See also: Early voting
West Virginia is one of 34 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting begins 13 days before an election and ends three days prior to Election Day.[5] The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Calendar," accessed April 19, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Voter Registration" accessed July 12, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, “Eligibility for Absentee Voting In West Virginia,” accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, “Absentee Voting Information,” accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Early voting and absentee voting," accessed January 22, 2015
