West Virginia Civics: How Your State Government Works

by bam

A practical, non-partisan guide to how the state of West Virginia governs itself, and how you take part where you live. West Virginia has a unique origin story: it is the ONLY state created by breaking away from another state, its western counties split from Virginia during the Civil War and joined the Union in 1863. You'll learn West Virginia's Constitution of 1872, its plural executive (with no lieutenant governor), its Legislature of 34 senators and 100 delegates, its recently nonpartisan judiciary, and its 55 counties. Time-sensitive facts are flagged, pointing to sos.wv.gov. Cited to West Virginia's own official sources (wvlegislature.gov, sos.wv.gov, courtswv.gov).