West Virginia Code 3-7-1 – Contests for state offices and judgeships; procedure
If the election of Governor, Secretary of State, treasurer, Auditor, Attorney General, commissioner of agriculture, a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals or a judge of a circuit court, is contested, the contestant shall give notice, with specifications and affidavit, to the person whose election is contested within ten days after the election is certified and within ten days thereafter the return notice shall be given to the contestant. The parties shall finish taking depositions within forty days after the notice is delivered. The depositions shall be transmitted to the Clerk of the House of Delegates, to be delivered by him or her to the joint committee or special court hereinafter provided for. In other respects the regulations contained in this article respecting contests for a seat in the Legislature shall be observed, so far as they are applicable.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 3-7-1
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- 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 committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
- 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