WEST virginia legislature

2026 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 550

By Senator Woelfel

[Introduced January 21, 2026; referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §3-5-7, §3-5-13, §3-5-13a, §3-10-3, and §24-1-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend the code by adding two new sections, designated §3-5-6f and §24-1-3a, relating to the Public Service Commission of West Virginia; eliminating appointment process and providing for nonpartisan election of commission members; authorizing appointed commissioners to complete existing terms; setting requirements for candidates for office of commissioner; providing for election of commission chair; providing for initial, staggered elections of three commissioners to five and one-half year terms; providing for subsequent regular elections of commissioners to six-year terms; establishing election procedures; and providing for process to fill commission vacancies.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Chapter 3. Elections.

Article 5. primary elections and nominating procedures.

§3-5-6f. Election of members of Public Service Commission.

(a) An election for the purpose of electing a member of the Public Service Commission shall be held on the same date as the primary election, as provided by law, upon a nonpartisan ballot printed for this purpose. Each commissioner shall be elected at large from the entire state.

(b) In case of a tie vote under this section, §3-6-12 of this code controls in breaking the tie vote.

§3-5-7. Filing certificates of announcements of candidacies; requirements; withdrawal of candidates when section applicable.

(a) Any person who is eligible and seeks to hold an office or political party position to be filled by election in any primary or general election held under the provisions of this chapter shall file a certificate of announcement declaring his or her candidacy for the nomination or election to the office.

(b) The certificate of announcement shall be filed as follows:

(1) Candidates for the House of Delegates, the State Senate, circuit judge, family court judge, and any other office or political position to be filled by the voters of more than one county shall file a certificate of announcement with the Secretary of State.

(2) Candidates for an office or political position to be filled by the voters of a single county or a subdivision of a county, except for candidates for the House of Delegates, State Senate, circuit judge or family court judge, shall file a certificate of announcement with the clerk of the county commission.

(3) Candidates for an office to be filled by the voters of a municipality shall file a certificate of announcement with the recorder or city clerk.

(c) The certificate of announcement shall be filed with the proper officer not earlier than the second Monday in January before the primary election day and not later than the last Saturday in January before the primary election day and must be received before midnight, eastern standard time, of that day or, if mailed, shall be postmarked by the United States Postal Service before that hour. This includes the offices of Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals, circuit court judge, family court judge and magistrate, which are to be filled on a nonpartisan and division basis at the primary election, as well as the office of member of the Public Service Commission, which is to be filled on a nonpartisan basis at the primary election: Provided, That on the final day of a political filing period, the office of the Secretary of State shall be open from 9:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.  The offices of the County Clerk in all counties of the state shall be open on that final day of a political filing period from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

(d) The certificate of announcement shall be on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State on which the candidate shall make a sworn statement before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths, containing the following information:

(1) The date of the election in which the candidate seeks to appear on the ballot;

(2) The name of the office sought; the district, if any; and the division, if any;

(3) The legal name of the candidate and the exact name the candidate desires to appear on the ballot, subject to limitations prescribed in §3-5-13 of this code;

(4) The county of residence and a statement that the candidate is a legally qualified voter of that county; and the magisterial district of residence for candidates elected from magisterial districts or under magisterial district limitations;

(5) The specific address designating the location at which the candidate resides at the time of filing, including number and street or rural route and box number and city, state, and zip code;

(6) For partisan elections, the name of the candidate’s political party on the date the certificate of announcement is submitted and a statement that the candidate: (A) Is a member of and affiliated with that political party as evidenced by the candidate’s current registration as a voter affiliated with that party; and (B) has not been registered as a voter affiliated with any other political party for a period of 60 days before the date of filing the announcement;

(7) For candidates for delegate to national convention, the name of the presidential candidate to be listed on the ballot as the preference of the candidate on the first convention ballot; or a statement that the candidate prefers to remain "uncommitted";

(8) A statement that the person filing the certificate of announcement is a candidate for the office in good faith;

(9) The words "subscribed and sworn to before me this ______ day of _____________, 20____" and a space for the signature of the officer giving the oath.

(e) The Secretary of State or the board of ballot commissioners, as the case may be, may refuse to certify the candidacy or may remove the certification of the candidacy upon receipt of a certified copy of the voter’s registration record of the candidate showing that the candidate was registered as a voter in a party other than the one named in the certificate of announcement during the 60 days immediately preceding the filing of the certificate: Provided, That unless a signed formal complaint of violation of this section and the certified copy of the voter’s registration record of the candidate are filed with the officer receiving that candidate’s certificate of announcement no later than 10 days following the close of the filing period, the candidate may not be refused certification for this reason: Provided, however, That prior to accepting a Certificate of Announcement for filing for an office which is elected in a partisan election, the Secretary of State’s Office, clerk of the county commission, recorder or city clerk shall electronically verify a candidate’s current party affiliation as subscribed and sworn to by the candidate.  If a candidate’s current party affiliation is not as stated on the Certificate of Announcement, the filing shall be refused.

(f) The certificate of announcement shall be subscribed and sworn to by the candidate before some officer qualified to administer oaths, who shall certify the same. Any person who knowingly provides false information on the certificate is guilty of false swearing and shall be punished in accordance with §3-9-3 of this code.

(g) Any candidate for delegate to a national convention may change his or her statement of presidential preference by notifying the Secretary of State by letter received by the Secretary of State no later than the third Tuesday following the close of candidate filing. When the rules of the political party allow each presidential candidate to approve or reject candidates for delegate to convention who may appear on the ballot as committed to that presidential candidate, the presidential candidate or the candidate’s committee on his or her behalf may file a list of approved or rejected candidates for delegate and the Secretary of State shall list as "uncommitted" any candidate for delegate who is disapproved by the presidential candidate.

(h) A person may not be a candidate for more than one office or office division at any election: Provided, That a candidate for an office may also be a candidate for President of the United States, for membership on political party executive committees or for delegate to a political party national convention: Provided, however, That an unsuccessful candidate for a nonpartisan office in an election held concurrently with the primary election may be appointed under the provisions of section nineteen of this article to fill a vacancy on the general ballot.

(i) A candidate who files a certificate of announcement for more than one office or division and does not withdraw, as provided by §3-5-11 of this code, from all but one office prior to the close of the filing period may not be certified by the Secretary of State or placed on the ballot for any office by the board of ballot commissioners.

(j) The amendments to this section enacted by the Legislature in the 2024 Regular Session are effective January 1, 2025.

§3-5-13. Form and contents of ballots.

The following provisions apply to the form and contents of election ballots:

(1) The face of every primary election ballot shall conform as nearly as practicable to that used at the general election.

(2) The heading of every ballot is to be printed in display type. The heading is to contain a ballot title, the name of the county, the state, the words "Primary Election" and the month, day and year of the election. The ballot title of the political party ballots is to contain the words "Official Ballot of the (Name) Party" and the official symbol of the political party may be included in the heading.

(A) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all judicial officers shall commence with the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Judicial Officers" and each such office shall be listed in the following order:

(i) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Justice(s) of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia". The names of the candidates for the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be printed by division without references to political party affiliation or registration.

(ii) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all judges of the Intermediate Court of Appeals shall contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Judge(s) of the Intermediate Court of Appeals". The names of the candidates for the Intermediate Court of Appeals shall be printed by division without references to political party affiliation or registration.

(iii) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all circuit court judges in the respective circuits shall contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Circuit Court Judge(s)". The names of the candidates for the respective circuit court judge office shall be printed by division without references to political party affiliation or registration.

(iv) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all family court judges in the respective circuits shall contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Family Court Judge(s)". The names of the candidates for the respective family court judge office shall be printed by division without references to political party affiliation or registration.

(v) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for all magistrates in the respective circuits shall contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Magistrate(s)". The names of the candidates for the respective magistrate office shall be printed by division without references to political party affiliation or registration.

(B) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for the Board of Education is to contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Members of the ______________ County Board of Education". The districts for which fewer than two candidates may be elected and the number of available seats are to be specified and the names of the candidates are to be printed without reference to political party affiliation and without designation as to a particular term of office.

(C) The ballot title of any separate paper ballot or portion or portion of any electronic or voting machine ballot for the Public Service Commission is to contain the words "Nonpartisan Ballot of Election of Member(s) of the Public Service Commission of West Virginia". The name of the candidate shall be printed without reference to political party affiliation or registration.

(C) (D) Any other ballot or portion of a ballot on a question is to have a heading which clearly states the purpose of the election according to the statutory requirements for that question.

(3) (A) For paper ballots, the heading of the ballot is to be separated from the rest of the ballot by heavy lines and the offices shall be arranged in columns with the following headings, from left to right across the ballot: "National Ticket", "State Ticket", "Nonpartisan Judicial Ballot", "County Ticket", "Nonpartisan Ballot" in a nonpresidential election year, "District Ticket" or, in a presidential election year, "National Convention". The columns are to be separated by heavy lines. Within the columns, the offices are to be arranged in the order prescribed in §3-5-13a of this code.

(B) For voting machines, electronic voting devices and any ballot tabulated by electronic means, the offices are to appear in the same sequence as prescribed in §3-5-13a of this code and under the same headings as prescribed in paragraph (A) of this subdivision. The number of pages, columns or rows, where applicable, may be modified to meet the limitations of ballot size and composition requirements subject to approval by the Secretary of State.

(C) The title of each office is to be separated from preceding offices or candidates by a line and is to be printed in bold type no smaller than eight point. Below the office is to be printed the number of the district, if any, the number of the division, if any, and the words "Vote for ________" with the number to be nominated or elected or "Vote For Not More Than ________" in multicandidate elections. For offices in which there are limitations relating to the number of candidates which may be nominated, elected or appointed to or hold office at one time from a political subdivision within the district or county in which they are elected, there is to be a clear explanation of the limitation, as prescribed by the Secretary of State, printed in bold type immediately preceding the names of the candidates for those offices on the ballot in every voting system. For counties in which the number of county commissioners exceeds three and the total number of members of the county commission is equal to the number of magisterial districts within the county, the office of county commission is to be listed separately for each district to be filled with the name of the magisterial district and the words "Vote for One" printed below the name of the office: Provided, That the office title and applicable instructions may span the width of the ballot so as it is centered among the respective columns.

(D) The location for indicating the voter’s choices on the ballot is to be clearly shown. For paper ballots, other than those tabulated electronically, the official primary ballot is to contain a square formed in dark lines at the left of each name on the ballot, arranged in a perpendicular column of squares before each column of names.

(4) (A) The name of every candidate certified by the Secretary of State or the board of ballot commissioners is to be printed in capital letters in no smaller than eight point type on the ballot for the appropriate precincts. Subject to the rules promulgated by the Secretary of State, the name of each candidate is to appear in the form set out by the candidate on the certificate of announcement, but in no case may the name misrepresent the identity of the candidate nor may the name include any title, position, rank, degree, or nickname implying or inferring any status as a member of a class or group or affiliation with any system of belief.

(B) The city of residence of every candidate, the state of residence of every candidate residing outside the state, the county of residence of every candidate for an office on the ballot in more than one county and the magisterial district of residence of every candidate for an office subject to magisterial district limitations are to be printed in lower case letters beneath the names of the candidates.

(C) The arrangement of names within each office must be determined as prescribed in §3-5-13a of this code.

(D) If the number of candidates for an office exceeds the space available on a column or ballot page and requires that candidates for a single office be separated, to the extent possible, the number of candidates for the office on separate columns or pages are to be nearly equal and clear instructions given the voter that the candidates for the office are continued on the following column or page.

(5) When an insufficient number of candidates has filed for a party to make the number of nominations allowed for the office or for the voters to elect sufficient members to the Board of Education or to executive committees, the vacant positions on the ballot shall be filled with the words "No Candidate Filed": Provided, That in paper ballot systems which allow for write-ins to be made directly on the ballot, a blank line shall be placed in any vacant position in the office of Board of Education or for election to any party executive committee. A line shall separate each candidate from every other candidate for the same office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if there are multiple vacant positions on a ballot for one office, the multiple vacant positions which would otherwise be filled with the words "No Candidate Filed" may be replaced with a brief detailed description, approved by the Secretary of State, indicating that there are no candidates listed for the vacant positions.

(6) In presidential election years, the words "For election in accordance with the plan adopted by the party and filed with the Secretary of State" is to be printed following the names of all candidates for delegate to national convention.

(7) All paper ballots are to be printed in black ink on paper sufficiently thick so that the printing or marking cannot be discernible from the back: Provided, That no paper ballot voted pursuant to the provisions of 42 U. S. C. §1973, et seq., the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986, or federal write-in absentee ballot may be rejected due to paper type, envelope type, or notarization requirement. Ballot cards and paper for printing ballots using electronically sensible ink are to meet minimum requirements of the tabulating systems and are to conform in size and weight to ensure ease in tabulation.

(8) Ballots are to contain perforated tabs at the top of the ballots and are to be printed with unique sequential numbers from one to the highest number representing the total number of ballots printed. On paper ballots, the ballot is to be bordered by a solid line at least one sixteenth of an inch wide and the ballot is to be trimmed to within one-half inch of that border.

(9) On the back of every official ballot or ballot card the words "Official Ballot" with the name of the county and the date of the election are to be printed. Beneath the date of the election there are to be two blank lines followed by the words "Poll Clerks".

(10) The face of sample paper ballots and sample ballot labels are to be like other official ballots or ballot labels except that the word "sample" is to be prominently printed across the front of the ballot in a manner that ensures the names of candidates are not obscured and the word "sample" may be printed in red ink. No printing may be placed on the back of the sample.

§3-5-13a. Order of offices and candidates on the ballot; uniform drawing date.

(a) The order of offices for state and county elections on all ballots within the state shall be as prescribed herein. When the office does not appear on the ballot in an election, then it shall be omitted from the sequence. When an unexpired term for an office appears on the ballot along with a full term, the unexpired term shall appear immediately below the full term.

NATIONAL TICKET: President (and Vice President in the general election), United States Senator, member of the United States House of Representatives.

STATE TICKET: Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture, Attorney General, State Senator, member of the House of Delegates, any other multicounty office, state executive committee.

NONPARTISAN JUDICIAL BALLOT: Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, judge of the circuit court, family judge, magistrate.

COUNTY TICKET: Clerk of the circuit court, county commissioner, clerk of the county commission, prosecuting attorney, sheriff, assessor, surveyor, congressional district executive committee, senatorial district executive committee in multicounty districts, delegate district executive committee in multicounty districts.

NONPARTISAN BALLOT: Nonpartisan elections for Public Service Commission, board of education, conservation district supervisor, any question to be voted upon.

DISTRICT TICKET: County executive committee.

NATIONAL CONVENTION: Delegate to the national convention -- congressional district, delegate to the national convention -- at-large.

(b) Except for office divisions in which no more than one person has filed a certificate of announcement, the arrangement of names for all offices shall be determined by lot according to the following provisions:

(1) On the fourth Tuesday following the close of the candidate filing, beginning at 9:00 a.m., a drawing by lot shall be conducted in the office of the clerk of the county commission in each county. Notice of the drawing shall be given on the form for the certificate of announcement and no further notice shall be required. The clerk of the county commission shall superintend and conduct the drawing and the method of conducting the drawing shall be prescribed by the Secretary of State.

(2) Except as provided herein, the position of each candidate within each office division shall be determined by the position drawn for that candidate individually: Provided, That if fewer candidates file for an office division than the total number to be nominated or elected, the vacant positions shall appear following the names of all candidates for the office.

(3) Candidates for delegate to national convention who have filed a commitment to a candidate for president shall be listed alphabetically within the group of candidates committed to the same candidate for president and uncommitted candidates shall be listed alphabetically in an uncommitted category. The position of each group of committed candidates and uncommitted candidates shall be determined by lot by drawing the names of the presidential candidates and for an uncommitted category.

(4) A candidate or the candidate's representative may attend the drawings.

Article 10. Filling Vacancies.

§3-10-3. Vacancies in offices of state officials, justices, judges, and magistrates, and members of Public Service Commission.

(a) Any vacancy occurring in the offices of Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, or in any office created or made elective to be filled by the voters of the entire state, is filled by the Governor of the state by appointment and subsequent election to fill the remainder of the term, if required by §3-10-1 of this code. The Governor shall make the appointment from a list of three legally qualified persons submitted by the party executive committee of the same political party with which the person holding the office immediately preceding the vacancy was affiliated at the time of the previous election for that office. The list of qualified persons to fill the vacancy shall be submitted to the Governor within 15 days after the vacancy occurs, and the Governor shall duly make his or her appointment to fill the vacancy from the list of legally qualified persons within five days after the list is received. If the list is not submitted to the Governor within the 15-day period, the Governor shall appoint, within five days thereafter, a legally qualified person of the same political party with which the person holding the office immediately preceding the vacancy was affiliated at the time of the previous election: Provided, That any such person appointed by the Governor must have been affiliated with that political party for at least one year prior to the occurrence of the vacancy: Provided, however, That the Governor may appoint a temporary acting official in the event of a vacancy in the offices of Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, or Commissioner of Agriculture to carry out the duties of said office until such vacancy is filled by appointment pursuant to this subsection: Provided further, That the provisions of this subsection do not apply to §3-10-3(b), §3-10-3(c), §3-10-3(d), and §3-10-3(e) of this code.

(b) Any vacancy occurring in the offices of Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals, judge of a circuit court, or judge of a family court, or member of the Public Service Commission is filled by the Governor of the state by appointment and, if the unexpired term be for a period of more than three years, by a subsequent election to fill the remainder of the term, as required by §3-10-3(d) of this code. If an election is required under §3-10-3(d) of this code, the Governor, circuit court, or the chief judge thereof in vacation, is responsible for the proper proclamation by order and notice required by §3-10-1 of this code. The amendments to this subsection enacted during the regular session of the Legislature in the year 2022 shall be applicable to any vacancy existing at the date of passage of such amendments.

(c) Any vacancy in the office of magistrate is appointed according to the provisions of §50-1-6 of this code, and, if the unexpired term be for a period of more than two years, by a subsequent nonpartisan judicial election held concurrently with the primary or general election, whichever occurs first, to fill the remainder of the term.  

(d)(1) When the vacancy in the office of Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals, judge of the circuit court, or judge of a family court, or member of the Public Service Commission occurs after the 84th day before a general election, and the affected term of office ends on December 31 following the succeeding general election two years later, the person appointed to fill the vacancy shall continue in office until the completion of the term.

(2) When the vacancy occurs before the close of the candidate filing period for the primary election, and if the unexpired term be for a period of greater than three years, the vacancy shall be filled by election in the nonpartisan judicial election held concurrently with the primary election and the appointment shall continue until a successor is elected and certified.

(3) When the vacancy occurs after the close of candidate filing for the primary election and not later than 84 days before the general election, and if the unexpired term be for a period of greater than three years, the vacancy shall be filled by election in a nonpartisan judicial election held concurrently with the general election, and the appointment shall continue until a successor is elected and certified: Provided, That the provisions of this subsection (d) do not apply to a vacancy in the office of magistrate.

(e) When an election to fill a vacancy is required to be held at the general election, according to the provisions of §3-10-3(d) of this code, a special candidate filing period shall be established. Candidates seeking election to any unexpired term for Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals, judge of a circuit court, judge of the family court, or magistrate, or member of the Public Service Commission shall file a certificate of announcement and pay the filing fee no earlier than the first Monday in August and no later than 77 days before the general election.

Chapter 24. Public Service Commission.

Article 1. General Provisions.

§24-1-3.  Commission continued; membership; chairman; compensation; quorum.

(a) The Public Service Commission of West Virginia is continued and directed as provided by this chapter, Chapter 24A, Chapter 24B, and Chapter 24D of this code. The Public Service Commission may sue and be sued by that name.

(b) The Public Service Commission shall consist of three members who shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The commissioners shall be citizens and residents of this state and at least one of them shall be duly licensed to practice law in West Virginia, with not less than ten years’ actual work experience in the legal profession as a member of a State Bar elected by the qualified voters of the state in statewide, nonpartisan elections as set forth in §24-1-3a of this code: Provided, That the three commissioners holding office as of the effective date of the amendments to this article enacted during the regular session of the Legislature, 2026, may continue to serve for the remainder of their respective appointed terms, and may be candidates for the initial elections to fill the subsequent terms.

(c) No more than two of the commissioners shall be members of the same political party Each commissioner shall be qualified to vote in this state and shall have been a citizen and resident of this state for at least five years preceding his or her election.

(d) Each commissioner shall, before entering upon the duties of his or her office, take and subscribe to the oath provided by section five, article IV of the Constitution of West Virginia. The oath shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

(e) The Governor shall designate one of the commissioners to serve as chairman at the Governor’s will and pleasure commission shall annually, at its first meeting in each year, or as soon thereafter as practicable, elect one of its members as chairman. The chairman shall be the chief administrative officer of the commission.

(f) The Governor may remove any commissioner only for incompetency, neglect of duty, gross immorality, malfeasance in office, or violation of subsections (g) and or (h) of this section.

(f) Upon expiration of the terms, appointments are for terms of six years, except that an appointment to fill a vacancy is for the unexpired term only.

(g) No person while in the employ of, or holding any official relation to, any public utility subject to the provisions of this chapter or holding any stocks or bonds of a public utility subject to the provisions of this chapter or who is pecuniarily interested in a public utility subject to the provisions of this chapter may serve as a member of the commission or as an employee of the commission.

(h) Nor may any commissioner be a candidate for or hold any other public office or be a member of any political committee while acting serving as a commissioner; nor may any commissioner or employee of the commission receive any pass, free transportation or other thing of value, either directly or indirectly, from any public utility or motor carrier subject to the provisions of this chapter. In case any of the commissioners becomes a candidate for any other public office or a member of any political committee, the Governor shall remove him or her from office and shall appoint a new commissioner to fill the vacancy created as provided in §24-1-3a of this code.

(i) The annual salary of each commissioner provided in section two-a, article seven, chapter six of this code shall be paid at least twice per month from the special funds in the percentages that follow:

(1) From the Public Service Commission Fund collected under the provisions of section six, article three of this chapter §24-3-6 of this code, eighty 80 percent;

(2) From the Public Service Commission Motor Carrier Fund collected under the provisions of section six, article six, chapter twenty-four-a §24A-6-6 of this code, seventeen 17 percent; and

(3) From the Public Service Commission Gas Pipeline Safety Fund collected under the provisions of section three, article five, chapter twenty-four-b §24B-5-3 of this code, three percent.

(j) In addition to the salary provided for all commissioners in section two-a, article seven, chapter six §6-7-2a of this code, the chairman of the commission shall receive $5,000 per annum to be paid at least twice per month from the Public Service Commission Fund collected under the provisions of section six, article three of this chapter §24-3-6 of this code.

§24-1-3a. Election of commissioners; vacancies.

(a) The three members of the Public Service Commission shall be elected by the qualified voters of the state in statewide, nonpartisan elections to serve six-year terms, subject to the exception for initial elections set forth in subsection (b).

(b) Initial elections. – The initial election of each of the three members of the Public Service Commission shall occur as follows:

(1) One commissioner shall be elected during the 2026 general election to a term beginning July 1, 2027 and set to expire December 31, 2032;

(2) One commissioner shall be elected during the 2028 general election to a term beginning July 1, 2029 and set to expire December 31, 2034; and

(3) One commissioner shall be elected during the 2030 general election to a term beginning July 1, 2031 and set to expire December 31, 2036.

(c) Regular elections. – After the initial elections provided for in subsection (b), members of the Public Service Commission shall be elected to six-year terms of office, with one commissioner elected during the primary election in every year during which a sitting commissioner’s term will expire, and with the elected commissioner’s term to commence on January 1 of the year following, as set forth in §3-5-1 et seq. of this code.

(d) Vacancies. – If a vacancy occurs on the Public Service Commission and such vacancy is caused by an appointed commissioner whose seat has not yet been filled by the initial elections provided for in subsection (b), the Governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the unexpired term. If a vacancy occurs on the commission and such vacancy occurs in a seat which has been filled by the initial elections, the Governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment as provided in §3-10-3 of this code.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to have members of the Public Service Commission be elected to six-year terms through statewide, nonpartisan elections.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.