News + Press
News + Press
News + Press
WV Democratic Party Calls Out Deceptive GOP Mailer Designed to Mislead Voters
For Immediate Release April 20, 2026
CHARLESTON, WV - The West Virginia Democratic Party is calling out a blatantly misleading mailer distributed by the West Virginia Republican Party that falsely claims, “Only Registered Republicans Can Vote on May 12th.”
“This mailer is deliberately deceptive,” said WV Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin. “That headline is designed to trick voters, particularly independents, into believing they cannot vote at all in the May 12 primary. That is simply not true.”
In reality, while unaffiliated (independent) voters have been excluded from participating in the Republican primary, they are still fully eligible to vote in other contests on May 12, including the Democratic primary, by simply requesting a Democratic ballot.
“The Republican Party made a conscious decision to shut independents out of their primary,” Pushkin continued. “Now they’re compounding that by sending out mailers designed to suppress voter participation.”
Pushkin also noted the striking irony of the mailer’s headline, “Join the Party of Your Values.”
“It’s hard to take that message seriously when it’s delivered through a false, misleading — and potentially illegal — campaign mailer,” he said. “If these are the ‘values’ they’re promoting, West Virginians should be deeply concerned.”
The mailer’s bold headline obscures the facts and creates a false impression that only Republicans can participate in the election — a tactic that undermines confidence in the electoral process and discourages civic engagement.
“West Virginians deserve honest information about when and how they can vote,” said Pushkin. “This kind of messaging erodes trust and appears intentionally crafted to keep people home on Election Day.”
“These tactics aren’t about informing voters—they’re about manipulating them,” said Teresa Toriseva, First Vice Chair of the WV Democratic Party, “When you send a mailer that leaves voters with the impression they cannot participate at all, you are undermining democracy itself. Toriseva also pointed to the irony of messaging that cloaks itself in values while engaging in deception.
“You can’t claim to represent ‘the party of values’ while distributing false and misleading information. West Virginians see through that hypocrisy,” she said.
Sam Petsonk, Second Vice Chair of the WV Democratic Party, emphasized the state’s long tradition of independence and civic engagement.
“West Virginians have always been independent-minded people—montani semper liberi! Don’t try to tell WV how to think.”
The West Virginia Democratic Party will be filing a formal complaint with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office over this fraudulent mailer, urging immediate action and a thorough investigation into what appears to be a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters.
“Make no mistake—independent voters can and should participate in the primary elections available to them,” Pushkin added. “No misleading mailer should stand in the way of a West Virginian exercising their fundamental right to vote.”
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Did you receive this misleading mailer?
You can file a complaint with thenWV Secretary of State.
https://sos.wv.gov/media/424/download?inline