WHEELING - At least 627 residents cast early ballots in the Northern Panhandle on Wednesday - the first day of early voting in West Virginia.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, Ohio County reported 193 early voters; Marshall County, 130; Wetzel County, 95; Brooke County, 90; Hancock County, 65; and Tyler County, 54.
The numbers were especially high in smaller Brooke County, where County Clerk Sylvia Benzo termed the traffic of voters "pretty steady." She said 50 voted there before noon.
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George Thieroff of Wheeling exits the Early Voting Polling Place at Wheeling’s City-County Building after casting his vote Wednesday.
Hancock County election workers, though, said they expected more residents would vote early Wednesday.
Dalston Radosevich of Wheeling sat closest to the door as he waited for early voting to start in Ohio County Wednesday, and he said it was because he wanted to make a statement with his vote.
"I want to change racism," he said.
As to whether he thought his vote would make a difference, Radosevich said, "It better."
R.C. Trussell was of a similar mindset when he cast his vote, and he noted it was a particular point of pride with him. He said he was among the first to cast a ballot Wednesday.
"This may not seem like much now, but when we ponder the history of voting in the 2008 general election - years down the path - I feel a little proud of being the first in this county ... to vote for our first black or bi-racial party candidate for president of the United States," he said.
There were 14 people in line outside Room 102 at the City-County Building in Wheeling at 9 a.m. Wednesday, and many said they hoped to make changes in the world with their vote and were casting early ballots to make this happen.
Others, meanwhile, said they were voting early for the convenience.
Pat and Mary Ellen Cassidy of Wheeling were hoping to achieve both by being among the first to vote. The couple said they have other plans for Election Day and would not be available during normal voting hours.
"I hope the country votes for the future of the children and chooses the right path," Mary Ellen Cassidy said. "One path is the one we're on, and the other is a path for change. I hope people choose the right one."
Tina Welling of Wheeling was the first to exit the early voting polls in Ohio County, and she commented that military action in the Middle East was on her mind.
"I just wanted to get it done and over with," she said. "I just want to bring our boys home."
Tom Cerra of Wheeling also was among those to first cast ballots in the primary election in May. A local union leader, he said jobs, the economy and the environment were the most important issues to him.
"I just wanted to get it done early," Cerra said.
There are eight touchscreen voting devices set up for early voting in Ohio County.
Early voting in West Virginia continues through Saturday, Nov. 1.
Voters will be able to cast early ballots on weekdays at their respective county courthouses at the following times: Brooke County - 9 a.m to 5 p.m.; Hancock County - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Marshall County - 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 5:30 p.m. Fridays; Ohio County - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tyler County - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In Wetzel County, the hours are from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays.
Election Day is Nov. 4.
Early voting has only been part of one previous presidential election, but it proved popular. The Associated Press reports about 126,500 people, more than 10 percent of all registered voters, cast their ballots early in 2004, when President George W. Bush carried the state.
In the May 13 primary this year, a total of 70,815 residents marked ballots during the early voting period. That's nearly 14 percent of the overall number of primary votes cast, far surpassing the roughly 27,000 early votes cast in the 2004 primary.
Unlike 2004, though, West Virginia has not been targeted by either presidential campaign, and the registration of new voters has lagged behind what it was four years ago.
The official tally won't be available until Friday at the earliest, but the most recent figures from Secretary of State Betty Ireland's office show 1,204,407 registered voters, an increase of 20,912 from the May 13 primary. Four years ago, the voter rolls jumped by more than 65,000 between the primary and the general election.