West Virginia Constitution
The Constitution of the State of West Virginia is the supreme law of the U.S. State of West Virginia. It expresses the rights of the State's citizens and provides the framework for the organization of law and government. The state's founding document was ratified in 1862, a year before the state joined the Union. In its first Article, the clause states that "The state of West Virginia is, and shall remain, one of the United States of America. The constitution of the United States of America, and the laws and treaties made in pursuance thereof, shall be the supreme law of the land." West Virginia is governed under its second and current Constitution which dates from 1872, in which a Preamble was added. The document includes fourteen Articles and seventeen Amendments.
- Preamble
- Article I. Relations to the US Government
- Article II. The State
- Article III. Bill of Rights
- Article IV. Election & Officers
- Article V. Division of Powers
- Article VI. The Legislature
- Article VII. Executive Department
- Article VIII. Judicial Power
- Article IX. County Organization
- Article X. Taxation & Finance
- Article XI. Corporations
- Article XII. Education
- Article XIII. Land Titles
- Article XIV. Amendments
- Amendments
Examples of Constitutional Provisions
- Article IV: Section 7 provides all elections to be held on the First Tuesday after the first Monday in November unless specifically exempted.
- Article IV: Section 10 prohibits dueling.
- Article VI: Section 20 places the Seat of Government in the City of Charleston.
- Article IX: Section 8 prohibits the creation of any new county smaller than 400 square miles (1,000 km2) or having less than six thousand people.
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