This is anecdotal history but my grandfather who in 1999 died at age 100, always said that armed Federal troops stood outside the polling places and asked how someone planned to vote on the statehood issue. If they were against it they were turned away.
I always discounted it until I read Caperton's book on the history of WV. He says basically the same thing. The election for statehood of WV was held at gunpoint.
The election for statehood of WV was held at gunpoint.
So it seems it was also with the ratification of the 14th amendment. Congress took advantage of the chaos of the war to do a lot of questionable things.