West Virginia Code 3-11-2 – Title and summary of amendment; position on ballot; designation of election for submission of amendment
In any joint resolution proposing an amendment to the West Virginia Constitution, for ratification or rejection by the voters, the Legislature shall for convenience of reference thereto, assign a title to such proposed amendment and shall set forth a summary of the purpose of such proposed amendment. If the Legislature shall fail in any such resolution to include a title and summary, or either, the Secretary of State shall supply such omission or omissions, and certify the same to the ballot commissioners of each county. Whether set forth in such resolution or certified by the Secretary of State, it shall be the duty of the ballot commissioners in each county to place upon the official ballot at the election at which such proposed amendment is to be voted upon, or upon the ballot label in counties where voting machines are used, the title and summary of such proposed Constitutional amendment.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 3-11-2
- Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
- Election: shall mean the procedure whereby the voters of this state or any subdivision thereof elect persons to fill public offices, or elect members of a Constitutional convention, or vote on public questions. See West Virginia Code 3-1-2
- Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
The Legislature may, in the joint resolution, give a proposed amendment a number. If this is done, and if there is more than one amendment submitted at the same election, the position of such amendment on the ballot shall be in accordance with the number so designated. When numbers are not so designated by the Legislature, the Secretary of State, in certifying the election ballot, shall number the amendments consecutively in accordance with the dates of their final submission by the Legislature.
The Legislature shall, in the joint resolution, designate the election at which the proposed Constitutional amendment shall be submitted to the voters.