H.B. 2592 Assigned to Study
In the coming interim, between legislative sessions, H.B. 2592 - aligning local and county elections with state elections - is to be studied.
With the help of supporters inside and outside the Capitol, H.B. 2592 was moving and had a golden opportunity to pass both chambers this year.
The bill was placed on the Senate Judiciary agenda with time to pass. However, in the waning days of the legislature, interest of a special election took precedent before failing to materialize. And, after being acknowledged by Senate Judiciary Chair Charles Trump, (R – Morgan, 15) on April 7, 2021, the bill got assigned to be studied during the coming interim session.
The upside is that the bill gained enough interest to be revisited. This is a positive, because there’s chance to build greater support for revisiting it next year. The downside is that 2022 is an election year, and that typically brings some unique challenges and surprises among the otherwise normal and routine political machinations.
West Virginians for Common Sense will continue to research issues surrounding the legislation and build support. As our state looks to find efficiencies, there are real savings to be found by passing such legislation in the future. Not only can voter participation be maximized, local choice to select primary or general election dates still allows for flexibility and control.
Contact us to tell us about elections in your community, and volunteer to get involved locally.