Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 8 > Article 5 > Part VII - Elections and Petitions Generally

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• 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.
• all elections: shall include every general, primary, or special election held in this state, or in any of its subdivisions, for the purpose of nominating or electing federal or state officers, or county, city, town or village officers of any subdivision now existing or hereafter created, or for the purpose of electing members of a Constitutional convention, or for voting upon any public question submitted to the people of the state or any of the aforesaid subdivisions. See West Virginia Code 3-1-2
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
• Auditor: whenever used in this chapter in connection with delinquent, nonentered, escheated or waste and unappropriated lands, shall be construed to refer to the Auditor in his capacity as state commissioner of delinquent and nonentered lands. See West Virginia Code 11A-3-33
• Ballot issue: means a constitutional amendment, special levy, bond issue, local option referendum, municipal charter or revision, an increase or decrease of corporate limits, or any other question that is placed before the voters for a binding decision. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Billboard advertisement: means a commercially available outdoor advertisement, sign, or similar display regularly available for lease or rental to advertise a person, place, or product. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Candidate: shall mean any person to be voted for at an election. See West Virginia Code 3-1-2
• Candidate: means an individual who:

  (A) Has filed a certificate of announcement under §. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a

• Caregiving services: means direct care, protection, and supervision of a child, or other person with a disability or a medical condition, for which a candidate has direct caregiving responsibility. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• Caucus campaign committee: means a West Virginia House of Delegates or Senate political party caucus campaign committee that receives contributions and makes expenditures to support or oppose one or more specific candidates or slates of candidates for nomination, election, or committee membership. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Charter: shall mean , except where specific reference is made to a particular type of charter, either a special legislative charter (whether or not amended under the provisions of former §. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• City: is a word of art and shall mean, include, and be limited to any Class I, Class II, and Class III city, as classified in section three of this article (except in those instances where the context in which used clearly indicates that a particular class of city is intended), heretofore or hereafter incorporated as a municipal corporation under the laws of this state, however created and whether operating under: (i) A special legislative charter. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Clearly identified: means that the name, nickname, photograph, drawing, or other depiction of the candidate appears, or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent through an unambiguous reference, such as "the Governor" "your Senator" or "the incumbent" or through an unambiguous reference to his or her status as a candidate, such as "the Democratic candidate for Governor" or "the Republican candidate for Supreme Court of Appeals". See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Code: shall mean the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as heretofore and hereafter amended. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• code: means this article. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• commanding officer: includes only commissioned officers of the state military forces and shall include officers in charge only when administering nonjudicial punishment under Section fifteen of this article. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Commissioner: means the State Tax Commissioner. See West Virginia Code 11-22-1
• Committee membership: Legislators are assigned to specific committees by their party. Seniority, regional balance, and political philosophy are the most prominent factors in the committee assignment process.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contribution: means a gift, subscription, loan, assessment, payment for services, dues, advance, donation, pledge, contract, agreement, forbearance, promise of money, or other tangible thing of value, whether conditional or legally enforceable, or a transfer of money or other tangible thing of value to a person, made for the purpose of influencing the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• convening authority: includes , in addition to the person who convened the court, a commissioned officer commanding for the time being or a successor in command to the convening authority. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Coordinated expenditure: is a n expenditure made in concert with, in cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of a candidate or candidate's committee and meeting the criteria provided in §. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Corporate political action committee: means a political action committee that is a separate segregated fund of a corporation that may only accept contributions from its restricted group as outlined by the rules of the State Election Commission. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• corporation: includes a joint-stock company and any association or other organization which is taxable as a corporation under the federal income tax law. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• County court: includes any existing tribunal created in lieu of a county commission. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• day: means calendar day and is not synonymous with the term "unit training assembly. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Disclosure date: means either of the following:

  (A) The first date during any calendar year on which any electioneering communication is disseminated after the person paying for the communication has spent a total of $5,000 or more for the direct costs of purchasing, producing, or disseminating electioneering communications. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a

• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• doing business: means any activity of a corporation which enjoys the benefits and protection of government and laws in this state. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• 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
• Election: means any primary, general, or special election conducted under the provisions of this code or under the charter of any municipality at which the voters nominate or elect candidates for public office. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Electioneering communication: means any paid communication made by broadcast, cable or satellite signal, mass mailing, telephone bank, billboard advertisement, or publication in any newspaper, magazine, or other periodical that:

  (i) Refers to a clearly identified candidate for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Auditor, Commissioner of Agriculture, Supreme Court of Appeals, or the Legislature. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a

• enlisted member: means a person in an enlisted grade. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• Expressly advocating: means any communication that:

  (A) Uses phrases such as "vote for the Governor" "re-elect your Senator" "support the incumbent nominee for Supreme Court" "cast your ballot for the Republican challenger for House of Delegates" "Smith for House" "Bob Smith in '04" "vote Pro-Life" or "vote Pro-Choice" accompanied by a listing of clearly identified candidates described as Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, "vote against Old Hickory" "defeat" accompanied by a picture of one or more candidates, "reject the incumbent". See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a

• Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Financial agent: means any individual acting for and by himself or herself, or any two or more individuals acting together or cooperating in a financial way to aid or take part in the nomination or election of any candidate for public office, or to aid or promote the success or defeat of any political party at any election. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Freeholder: shall mean any person (and in the case of an individual one who is sui juris and is not under a legal disability) owning a "freehold interest in real property". See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• fundraiser: means an event such as a dinner, reception, testimonial, cocktail party, auction, or similar affair through which contributions are solicited or received. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Governing body: shall mean the mayor and council together, the council, the board of directors, the commission, or other board or body of any municipality, by whatever name called, as the case may be, charged with the responsibility of enacting ordinances and determining the public policy of such municipality. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• In concert or cooperation with or at the request or suggestion of: means that a candidate or his or her agent consulted with:

  (A) The sender regarding the content, timing, place, nature, or volume of a particular communication or communication to be made. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a

• in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• including: when used in a definition contained in this article, do not exclude other things otherwise within the meaning of the term being defined. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Independent expenditure: means an expenditure by a person:

  (A) Expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, including supporting or opposing the candidates of a political party. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a

• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Internal Revenue Code: means the Internal Revenue Code as defined in section three of this article, as amended and in effect for the taxable year and without regard to application of federal treaties unless expressly made applicable to states of the United States. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• 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.
• Joint session: When both chambers of a legislature adopt a concurrent resolution to meet together.
• judge advocate: means a commissioned officer of the organized state military forces who is an attorney licensed to practice in this state or is a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of another state, who is admitted pro hac vice to practice in this state, and is any of the following: Certified or designated as a judge advocate in the Judge Advocate General'. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Judgment: includes decrees and orders for the payment of money, or the conveyance or delivery of land or personal property, or some interest therein, or any undertaking, bond or recognizance which has the legal effect of a judgment. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Limited liability company: means a limited liability company organized under the laws of this state, the United States or by any other state, territory or the District of Columbia. See West Virginia Code 11-22-1
• Local: refers to the election of candidates to a city, county, or municipal office and any issue to be voted on by only the residents of a particular political subdivision. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Mass mailing: means a mailing by United States mail, facsimile, or electronic mail of more than 500 pieces of mail matter of an identical or substantially similar nature within any 30-day period. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Membership organization: means a group that grants bona fide rights and privileges, such as the right to vote, to elect officers or directors, and the ability to hold office to its members and which uses a majority of its membership dues for purposes other than political purposes. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Membership organization political action committee: means a labor organization or a trade association, cooperative, or other incorporated membership organization that: Is composed of members. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• military judge: means an official of a general or special court-martial detailed in accordance with section twenty-six of this article. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• military offenses: means those offenses prescribed under sections seventy-seven (Principals), seventy-eight (Accessory after the fact), eighty (Attempts), eighty-one (Conspiracy), eighty-two (Solicitation),eighty-three (Fraudulent enlistment, appointment, or separation), eighty-four (Unlawful enlistment, appointment, or separation), eighty-five (Desertion), eighty-six (Absence without leave), eighty-seven (Missing movement), eighty-eight (Contempt toward officials), eighty-nine (Disrespect towards superior commissioned officer), ninety (Assaulting or willfully disobeying superior commissioned officer), ninety-one (Insubordinate conduct toward warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, or petty officer), ninety-two (Failure to obey order or regulation), ninety-three (Cruelty and maltreatment), ninety-four (Mutiny or sedition), ninety-five (Resistance, flight, breach of arrest, and escape), ninety-six (Releasing prisoner without proper authority), ninety-seven (Unlawful detention), ninety-eight (Noncompliance with procedural rules), ninety-nine (Misbehavior before the enemy), one hundred (Subordinate compelling surrender), one hundred one (Improper use of countersign), one hundred two (Forcing a safeguard), one hundred three (Captured or abandoned property), one hundred four (Aiding the enemy), one hundred five (Misconduct as prisoner), one hundred seven (False official statements), one hundred eight (Military property - Loss, damage, destruction, or wrongful disposition), one hundred nine (Property other than military property - waste, spoilage, or destruction), one hundred ten (Improper hazarding of vessel), one hundred twelve (Drunk on duty), one hundred twelve-a. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Name: means the full first name, middle name, or initial, if any, and full legal last name of an individual and the full name of any association, corporation, committee, or other organization of individuals, making the identity of any person who makes a contribution apparent by unambiguous reference. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: shall be deemed to include an affirmation and the word "swear" or "sworn" to be complied with if the person referred to make solemn affirmation. See West Virginia Code 2-2-7
• Offense: includes every act or omission for which a fine, forfeiture, or punishment is imposed by law. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Office: shall be construed to mean "public office" which shall include (1) any elective office provided for by the Constitution or laws of the United States or of this state to which a salary or other compensation attaches, and (2) membership in a Constitutional convention. See West Virginia Code 3-1-2
• officer: means a commissioned or warrant officer. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• or his or her delegate: when used in reference to the Tax Commissioner, means any officer or employee of the state Tax Division duly authorized by the Tax Commissioner directly, or indirectly by one or more redelegations of authority, to perform the functions mentioned or described in this article or regulations promulgated thereunder. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Ordinance: shall mean the ordinances and laws enacted by the governing body of a municipality in the exercise of its legislative power, and in one or more articles of this chapter, ordinances enacted by a county commission. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Partnership: means a general or limited partnership or organization of any kind treated as a partnership for tax purposes under the laws of this state. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, committee, association, and any other organization or group of individuals. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Political action committee: means a committee organized by one or more persons, the primary purpose of which is to support or oppose the nomination or election of one or more candidates. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Political committee: means any candidate committee, political action committee, or political party committee. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Political party: means a political party as that term is defined by §. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Political party committee: means a committee established by a political party or political party caucus for the purposes of engaging in the influencing of the election, nomination, or defeat of a candidate in any election. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Political purposes: means supporting or opposing the nomination, election, or defeat of one or more candidates or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue, supporting the retirement of the debt of a candidate or political committee or the administration or activities of an established political party or an organization which has declared itself a political party, and determining the advisability of becoming a candidate under the pre-candidacy financing provisions of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public question: shall mean any issue or proposition required to be submitted to the qualified voters of a municipality or of a territory referred to in this chapter for decision at an election, as the case may be. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, all rights thereto and interests therein, except chattel interests. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• record: when used in connection with the proceedings of a court-martial, means - an official written transcript, written summary, or other writing relating to the proceedings. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Senior force judge advocate: means the senior judge advocate of the commander of the same force of the state military forces as the accused and who is that commander'. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• state: means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States and any foreign country or political subdivision thereof. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• State: means one of the several states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• 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
• State military forces: means the National Guard of the state, as defined in title 32, United States Code, to include the West Virginia Army National Guard, the West Virginia Air National Guard and the inactive National Guard, and shall be deemed to include any unit, component, element, headquarters, staff or cadre thereof, as well as any member or members, when not in a status subjecting them to exclusive jurisdiction under chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code. See West Virginia Code 15-1E-1
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• substantially similar: includes communications that contain substantially the same template or language, but vary in nonmaterial respects such as communications customized by the recipient's name, occupation, or geographic location. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Targeted to the relevant electorate: means a communication which refers to a clearly identified candidate for statewide office or the Legislature and which can be received by 140,000 or more individuals in the state in the case of a candidacy for statewide office, 8,220 or more individuals in the district in the case of a candidacy for the State Senate, and 2,410 or more individuals in the district in the case of a candidacy for the House of Delegates. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• tax: includes , within its meaning, interest and additions to tax, unless the intention to give it a more limited meaning is disclosed by the context. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Tax Commissioner: means the Tax Commissioner of the State of West Virginia or his or her delegate. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• tax year: means the taxable year for which the taxable income of the taxpayer is computed under the federal income tax law. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• taxpayer: means any person subject to the tax imposed by this article. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Telephone bank: means telephone calls that are targeted to the relevant electorate, other than telephone calls made by volunteer workers, regardless of whether paid professionals designed the telephone bank system, developed calling instructions, or trained volunteers. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• this code: means the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Town: includes a city, village or town, and the word "council" any body or board, whether composed of one or more branches, which is authorized to make ordinances for the government of a city, town, or village. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Transaction: means the delivering, accepting or presenting for recording of a document. See West Virginia Code 11-22-1
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Unaffiliated political action committee: means a political action committee that is not affiliated with a corporation or a membership organization. See West Virginia Code 3-8-1a
• United States: means the United States of America and includes all of the states of the United States, the District of Columbia and United States territories and possessions. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Voter: shall mean any person who possesses the statutory and Constitutional qualifications for voting. See West Virginia Code 3-1-2
• West Virginia taxable income: means the taxable income of a corporation as defined by the laws of the United States for federal income tax purposes, adjusted, as provided in this article: Provided, That in the case of a corporation having income from business activity which is taxable without this state, its "West Virginia taxable income" shall be the portion of its taxable income as defined and adjusted as is allocated or apportioned to this state under the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 11-24-3a
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.