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§60-5-1. Election in county, magisterial district or municipality.
A county, magisterial district or any municipality may in an election held especially for the purpose, determine whether the sale of alcoholic liquors for beverage purposes shall be permitted within that county, magisterial district or municipality.

A local option election shall not be held within sixty days of a general or municipal election.

§60-5-2. Election called on petition of five percent of qualified voters.
The county commission, or the governing body of the municipality, as the case may be, shall call a special "local option election" upon the filing of a petition signed by not less than five percent of the qualified voters within the county, a magisterial district or municipality.

§60-5-3. Form of petition.
The petition shall be in the following form:

Petition for Local Option Election
We, the undersigned legally qualified voters, resident within the county (magisterial district) (municipality) of

_______________, do hereby petition that a special election be held within the county (city, town) of __________________ on the ___________ day of __________________, 19____, upon the following question:

Shall the sale of alcoholic beverages under the West Virginia alcohol beverage control commissioner be permitted in __________________?

Name Address Date

(Post office or street and number)
§60-5-4. Notice of election; when held; election officers.
The county court or governing body of the municipality shall give notice of the special "local option election" by publication thereof as a Class II-O legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be the area in which the election is to be held. Such notice shall be so published within fourteen consecutive days next preceding the election. The election shall be held not more than ninety nor less than sixty days from the filing of the petition. The regular election officers of the county or municipal corporation shall open the polls and conduct the election in the same manner provided for general elections.

§60-5-5. Form of ballot.
On the ballot shall be printed the following:

Shall the sale of alcoholic beverages under the West Virginia liquor control commission be permitted in ..............?

[] Yes.

[] No.

(Place a cross mark in the square opposite your choice.)

§60-5-6. How election conducted and results certified.
The ballots shall be counted, returns made and canvassed as in general elections, and the results certified by the commissioners of election to the county court of the county, or the governing body of the municipality, as the case may be. The county court or governing body shall without delay certify the result of the election to the commission.

§60-5-7. Discontinuance of state stores and agencies in local option territory.
Within thirty days after a "local option election" in which a majority has voted "No," the commission shall close all state stores and discontinue all agencies situated within the county, the magisterial district or municipality.

§60-5-8. When another election may be held.
When a "local option election" has been held in a county, a magisterial district or municipality, another such election shall not be held for a period of two years; except that an election may be held within a municipality without regard to an election held in or the time limit applicable to the county within which the municipality, or a part thereof, is located.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session