House Bill Says Election Days In May and August
ORIGINAL STORY AT: http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=42643
01/19/2011
State Capitol
A bill introduced in the House of Delegates Wednesday sets the timeline for a primary and general election for governor this year.
The bill, HB2552, says the primary election will be held on May 14 and the general election August 6.
House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, one of the bill’s sponsors, says the bill would change state code that allows for party conventions to determine the nominees in a special election for governor.
Armstead said during a floor speech Wednesday he doesn’t believe conventions would be the proper way to choose nominees for governor.
“I think it’s so important today, as we move forward, that we determine what our direction will be and we move forward quickly in that direction and I believe that direction should be a primary election,” Armstead said.
Bill supporters say the cost of a primary election would not be prohibitive.
“A convention will not give the people of West Virginia adequate input into this process,” Armstead said.
The bill also sets out to change the current gubernatorial succession language and would require any future state Senate President acting as governor to give notice of a special election within 10 days of the vacancy occurring.
The state Supreme Court handed down an order Tuesday ( COURT DECISION CAN BE READ AT: http://www.state.wv.us/wvsca/docs/spring11/101494.pdf ) that said acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin would have to issue a proclamation to have a special election before Nov. 15.