# West Virginia HB 5401: Relating to voting in West Virginia elections while residing overseas

West Virginia HB 5401, Relating to voting in West Virginia elections while residing overseas, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Joe Funkhouser (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-06-29 (Chapter 136, Acts, Regular Session, 2026) (as of 2026-11-04).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5401-2026rs
- As of: 2026-11-04
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: West Virginia HB 5401
- State: West Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Relating to voting in West Virginia elections while residing overseas
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-10
- Last action: 2026-06-29, Chapter 136, Acts, Regular Session, 2026
- Sponsor: Joe Funkhouser (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 10
- Subjects: §3-3-1, §3-3-1A
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (320 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Easier early and mail absentee voting: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2027, you can vote early in person using an absentee ballot. You can also get a mail ballot if you are confined by illness, injury, disability, or immobility from very advanced age. You qualify if you will be out of the county for work, school, or travel, or if you are jailed o…
- Electronic and emergency absentee ballots: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2027, some voters can vote absentee electronically. You can use it if you have a physical disability, if you are a uniformed services or overseas voter, if you are a qualifying U.S. citizen temporarily abroad, or if you are a first responder called away outside your county and…
- New definitions for voting access: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, the law defines “disability” and “physical disability” for voting. Physical disability must limit major life activities and make in‑person voting without help impossible. The law also defines which contests count as state elections and which count as federal elections. Th…
- Overseas voting rules and limits: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, citizens living abroad who were last domiciled in West Virginia can register and vote by mail in that district. Qualifying “overseas state and federal voters” can vote in both state and federal elections if they meet proof‑of‑citizenship and no‑new‑residency rules. Some v…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Joe Funkhouser (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: James Robert "JB" Akers II (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jim Butler (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Lori Dittman (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Flanigan
- Cosponsor: Rick Hillenbrand (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Phil Mallow (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Carl Martin (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Ian T. Masters (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Erica Moore (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Carl "Bill" Roop (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Effective January 1, 2027 (Roll No. 652) | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-14 | House | House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 651) | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-13 | Senate | Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 566) | pass | 34 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | House | Passed House (Roll No. 267) | pass | 92 | 0 |   |

## Bill text

- Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1.pdf)
- Engrossed: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 eng.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 eng.pdf)
- Enrolled: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 enr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 enr.pdf)
- Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 intr.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licensure and create disclosure requirements and daily transaction limitations for ne… (signed)
- HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations (signed)
- HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance (signed)
- HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to that of a foster parent (signed)
- HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally (became law)
- HB 4138: Relating to persons convicted of a crime (signed)

## Sources
- [Committee Substitute (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1.htm)
- [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1.pdf)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 eng.htm)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 eng.pdf)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 enr.htm)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 sub1 enr.pdf)
- [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 intr.htm)
- [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb5401 intr.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5353-2026rs)
- [HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4452-2026rs)
- [HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4354-2026rs)
- [HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to tha…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4390-2026rs)
- [HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4191-2026rs)
- [HB 4138: Relating to persons convicted of a crime](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4138-2026rs)
- [West Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia/bills)
- [West Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5401-2026rs (as of 2026-11-04).