For the 2026 school board elections in Pocahontas County, candidates have until the end of this month to file their paperwork. Because school board members are elected during the nonpartisan primary election, the results in May will be final.
2026 Candidate Filing Deadlines
Filing Deadline: Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Postmark Rule: Documents sent via mail must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service no later than midnight on January 31.
Election Day: Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Filing Location
The Pocahontas County Clerk Click to open side panel for more information is the designated official for receiving candidate filings for the local Board of Education. The office is located in the courthouse at 900 10th Ave C, Marlinton, WV 24954.
Standard Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Saturday Deadline: While the Secretary of State’s office in Charleston remains open until midnight on the final Saturday of the filing period, local county clerk offices often close at 12:00 PM (noon) on that day. It is highly recommended to file in person before Friday, January 30, or confirm the clerk's specific Saturday hours.
Filing Fee: Candidates must pay a filing fee, which is generally $25.00 for school board seats.
Pocahontas County "Residency Cap" and Districts
West Virginia law prevents any single magisterial district from having more than two representatives on the Board of Education at the same time. In Pocahontas County, there are three seats up for election in 2026.
Based on the members whose terms do not expire until 2028, the following residency limits (or "caps") apply for the 2026 election:
Central District: Currently has one member remaining (Sam Gibson). Therefore, only one candidate from the Central District can be elected in 2026.
Northern District: Currently has one member remaining (Emery Grimes). Therefore, only one candidate from the Northern District can be elected in 2026.
Southern District: Has no members whose terms extend to 2028 (Sue Hollandsworth and Morgan McComb are both in seats up for election). Therefore, up to two candidates from the Southern District could be elected.
Note that even though three seats are open, if two candidates from the Central District receive the highest number of votes, only the top vote-getter from that district will be seated, and the next highest vote-getter from an eligible district will take the second seat.
Would you like the contact information for the County Clerk's office to verify their hours for the upcoming deadline?
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