H. B. 2052
(By Delegate Doyle)
[Introduced February 13, 1997; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section sixteen, article one, chapter
three of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to changing the
dates for the elections of the attorney general and
secretary of state.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section sixteen, article one, chapter three of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS.
§3-1-16. Election of state officers.
At the general election to be held in the year one thousand
nine hundred sixty-eight, and in every fourth year thereafter,
there shall be elected a governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general and commissioner of agriculture: Provided, That beginning at the general election to be held in
the year two thousand two, any qualified candidates for the
offices of attorney general and secretary of state shall appear
on the statewide ballot for election: Provided, however, That
the election held for the office of attorney general and
secretary of state in the year two thousand shall be for a
two-year term, while the elections held thereafter for such
offices shall be for four-year terms. At the general election
in the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-eight, and in every
second year thereafter, there shall be elected a member of the
state Senate for each senatorial district, and a member or
members of the House of Delegates of the state from each county
or each delegate district. At the general election to be held in
the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-eight, and in every
twelfth year thereafter, there shall be elected one judge of the
supreme court of appeals, and at the general election to be held
in the year one thousand nine hundred seventy-two, and in every
twelfth year thereafter, two judges of the supreme court of
appeals, and at the general election to be held in the year one
thousand nine hundred seventy-six, and in every twelfth year
thereafter, two judges of the supreme court of appeals.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to change the election
for attorney general and secretary of state to nonpresidential
election years. The change would occur in the year 2002, with the
previous election held in 2000 being for a two-year term only.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.