ELKINS — The West Virginia Republican Party Executive Committee’s decision to close its primary election and limit it to Republican voters only will go into effect during the upcoming local elections.

Randolph County Clerk Brenda Wiseman has posted and sent out information so that voters in the county will be informed about what to expect this spring when they head out to vote.

“I just wanted to get the word out, so when everybody goes out to vote in May of 2026, that if they are registered as an independent or non-partisan, they are not going to be able to request a Republican ballot, like they have in the past,” Wiseman said. “It is mainly affecting independent voters, anyone who is registered as an independent or registered as a no-party affiliation.”

Wiseman said that in the past, voters had the option of choosing which ballot they wanted.

“It used to be when someone would go in for the primary, they could ask for a Republican ballot, they could ask for a Democrat ballot, or they could get the Independent ballot, which has things on it that don’t have any party,” Wiseman said. “But now when someone goes into the primary, they can not request a Republican ballot any more. You can only get the Democrat ballot or an Independent ballot.”

Wiseman said if anyone is interested in changing their party, it can be done in her office at the Randolph County Courthouse in Elkins.

“I want to get the word out well in advance that if someone wants to change their party, they can come into my office and get it changed before the election,” Wiseman said. “If they want to leave it as it is, they can do so, but if they want to change it they can come into the office and do it.”

The deadline to make any changes is 21 days prior to any election, so in 2026 the deadline will = be April 21, as the primary election will take place on May 12.

“People just have to come in and give us their name and we will pull their information up,” Wiseman said. “Then they just have to sign a paper and if they are already registered they don’t have to show an ID.”

Wiseman said that the Secretary of State’s Office and other county clerks around the state will also be posting information about the change.

For more information, contact the Randolph County Clerk’s Office at 304-636-0543.