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WHEELING - Neither the White House nor any federal intelligence agencies have informed West Virginia officials that any election information in the state has been stolen or hacked, West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner said Friday morning.
Warner said he "needs proof" that there has been any widespread election fraud in the state. He also encourages anyone with doubts about West Virginia's election system to become a poll worker.
In an address to the nation Thursday night, President Donald Trump alleged China and some other countries had been obtaining the voting records of many Americans. Trump used the remarks to justify his push to pass a strict voter ID bill in Congress.
There was no evidence presented suggesting any allegedly obtained voter information, which is mostly public information, was used to change election voting return numbers in any past election.
Warner - a Republican like Trump - said the state hasn't been notified by any federal agency that West Virginia has vulnerabilities in its election information systems.
"We have not received any calls from the White House, the intelligence community, or any other federal agency, alerting us to a real, existing threat to the 2026 general election," he said. "That is what our elections division is totally focused on for the next four months.
"We haven't seen anything on our end either. So we remain open to any actionable intelligence that would help West Virginia strengthen its election security even further than where we are right now. Until then, our 55 county clerks and 8,500 poll workers are doing a great job, and we'll stay the course."
As for whether there is a problem with elections across America, Warner referred to a sports analogy.
"I relate it like in sports to a points-shaving scheme," he explained. "If a player shaved points or threw a ballgame, I want to know who the actors are behind the scenes who were trying to make that happen, and how did they have the capability to do that.
"We've got to pay attention to where things could occur. That's where my focus is, and if there is voter fraud. If there is just one vote (questioned) … it doesn't have to be massive voter fraud. If there is any voter fraud, it gets my attention."
For now, the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office is waiting for federal agencies "to give us something actionable we can work with."
"In West Virginia, our elections are safe, secure and honest," Warner said. "Until proof is shown, we are carrying on. We have a strong election system. We haven't been identified (as having election vulnerabilities). It is all about voter confidence. We want as many people as possible to participate who want to participate in the election.
"We've got a job to do. Our county clerks are doing their jobs."
The primary election this year in West Virginia presented two potential voting fraud situations -- one in Harrison County and one in Fayette County - that are now being "hashed out," he continued.
"Otherwise, things ran smooth, and we expect another smooth election," Warner said.
"For any doubters, be a part of the solution. Most people, once they volunteer to take a day off and be a poll worker and go do that … a lot of these fears go away. You realize a foreign entity can't stuff a box in Taylor County. If they do, we are going to know it."
Election officials know how many ballots should be cast in a precinct, he explained. If there are 10,000 extra votes, it becomes obvious there is an issue.
"We need proof. We need evidence. If we don't get it, we're continuing on with the election as planned," Warner said. "We are waiting for our federal partners to give us something."