West Virginia Code § 3-3-4

Assistance to voter in voting an absentee ballot by personal appearance;
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penalties.
(a) Any registered voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, physical
disability, advanced age, or inability to read and write may be given assistance by a person
of the voter's choice: Provided, That the assistance may not be given by the voter's present
or former employer or agent of that employer, by the officer or agent of a laebor union of
which the voter is a past or present member, or by a candidate on the ballot.
(b) Any voter who requests assistance in voting an absentee ballot but who is determined by
the official designated to supervise and conduct absentee votingu not to be qualified for
assistance under the provisions of this section and §3-1-34 of this code may vote a
provisional absentee ballot with the assistance of any persont authorized to render assistance
pursuant to this section. The official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting
shall, in this case, challenge the absentee ballot on the basis of his or her determination that
the voter is not qualified for assistance.
(c) Any one or more of the election commissiosners or poll clerks in the precinct to which an
absentee ballot has been sent may challenge the ballot on the grounds that the voter
received assistance in voting the ballot when in his or their opinion: (1) The person who
received the assistance in voting theg absentee ballot did not require assistance; or (2) the
person who provided the assistance in voting did not make an affidavit as required by this
section. The election commissieoner or poll clerk or commissioners or poll clerks making a
challenge shall enter the challenge and reason for the challenge on the form and in the
manner prescribed or auLthorized by this article.
(d) Before entering the voting booth or compartment, the person who intends to provide a
voter assistance in voting by personal appearance shall make an affidavit, the form of which
is to be prescribed by the Secretary of State, that he or she will not in any manner request,
seek to persuade, or induce the voter to vote any particular ticket or for any particular
canWdidate or for or against any public question; that he or she will not keep or make any
memorandum or entry of anything occurring within the voting booth or compartment; and
that he or she will not, directly or indirectly, reveal to any person the name of any candidate
voted for by the voter, which ticket the voter voted, how the voter voted on any public
question, or anything occurring within the voting booth, compartment, or voting machine
booth, except when required, pursuant to law, in a judicial proceeding.
(e) In accordance with instructions issued by the Secretary of State, the official designated
to supervise and conduct absentee voting shall complete a form entitled "List of Assisted
Voters", which list is to be divided into two parts, as follows:
(1) Part A is to be entitled "Unchallenged Assisted Voters"; and Part B is to be entitled
"Challenged Assisted Voters".
(2) Under Part A, the official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting shall
enter the name of each voter receiving unchallenged assistance in voting an absentee ballot,
the address of the voter assisted, the nature of the disability which qualified the voter for
assistance in voting an absentee ballot, the name of the person providing the voter with
assistance in voting an absentee ballot, the fact that the person rendering the assistance in
voting made and subscribed the affidavit required by this section, and the signature of the
official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting, certifying to the fact that he or
she had determined that the voter who received assistance in voting an abseentee ballot was
qualified to receive the assistance under the provisions of this section.
(3) Under Part B, the official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting shall
enter the name of each voter receiving challenged assistance in voting, the address of the
voter receiving challenged assistance, the reason for the challenge, and the name of the
person providing the challenged voter with assistance in votting. At the close of the period
provided for voting an absentee ballot by personal appearance, the official designated to
supervise and conduct absentee voting shall make and subscribe to an oath on the list that
the list is correct in all particulars.
(4) If no voter has been assisted in voting an asbsentee ballot as provided in this section, the
official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting shall make and subscribe to an
oath of that fact on the list.
(5) The "List of Assisted Voters" is to be available for public inspection in the office of the
official designated to supervisee and conduct absentee voting during regular business hours
throughout the period provided for voting an absentee ballot by personal appearance and,
unless otherwise directeLd by the Secretary of State, the official shall transmit the list,
together with the affidavits, applications, and absentee ballots, to the precincts on election
day.
(f) Following the election, the affidavits required by this section from persons providing
assistance in voting, together with the "List of Assisted Voters", are to be returned by the
elecWtion commissioners to the clerk of the county commission, along with the election
supplies, records, and returns. The clerk shall make the oaths and the "List of Assisted
Voters" available for public inspection and shall preserve the oaths and list for 22 months or,
if under order of the court, until their destruction or other disposition is authorized or
directed by the court.
(g) Any person making an affidavit required under the provisions of this section who
knowingly swears falsely in the affidavit or any person who counsels or advises, aids, or
abets another in the commission of false swearing under this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined
in jail for a period of not more than one year, or both fined and confined.
(h) Any person who provides a voter assistance in voting an absentee ballot in the office of
the official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting who is not qualified or
permitted by this section to provide assistance is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined in jail for a period of not
more than one year, or both fined and confined.
(i) Any official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting, election commissioner,
or poll clerk who authorizes or allows a voter to receive or to have received unchallenged
assistance in voting an absentee ballot when the voter is known to the official designated to
supervise and conduct absentee voting or election commissioner or poll clerek not to be or
have been authorized by the provisions of this section to receive or to have received
assistance in voting is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction threreof, shall be fined
not more than $1,000 or confined in jail for a period of not more than one year, or both fined
and confined.

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