West Virginia Voter Registration Deadline Nearing
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West Virginia residents needing to register to vote or update their current registration have less than a week to meet the deadline.
Voter registrations must be set in place by 5 p.m. Oct. 15, and those wanting to register can apply or update their voting information online at GoVoteWV.com. They also can apply in person at their respective county clerk's office, though Ohio County residents register to vote at the county commission office at the City-County Building, 1500 Chapline St., Wheeling.
September is National Voter Registration Month, and Ohio County took in about 200 new voters during the month, according to Erin Witchey, coordinator of elections in Ohio County. She provided an update on the status of the upcoming general election that happens Nov. 5.
Early voting across West Virginia begins Oct. 23 and continues Monday through Saturday at local courthouses through Nov. 2. Requests for absentee ballots applications are being accepted, and these are presently being mailed out to voters.
As of Friday, a total of 421 absentee ballots had been requested and mailed in Ohio County, according to Witchey. Based on past presidential election information, she is expecting to have about 750 requests for absentee ballots.
Witchey had a goal of having 230 poll workers lined up to work on Election Day, and she presently has 246 signed on to work the polls. The issue is that of the 246 poll workers, just 66 are registered Republicans, she noted. Each precinct should have two Republican workers, and there are 36 precincts in Ohio County.
"This leaves us still with not enough Republican election workers to have two at every precinct," she recently told Ohio County commissioners.
"We want to stress that we do have minimum coverage at precincts for Election Day. We are still accepting registrants who are immediately placed into precincts with only one Republican worker."
Poll workers in Ohio County earn $220 for working Election Day, with the potential for more if they take on added duties. The day starts at 5:30 a.m., and workers would be required to stay the full day until after the polls close at 7:30 p.m. Typically, they stay until about 8 p.m.
Anyone interested in being a poll worker should contact the Ohio County Commission office at 304-234-3750.
"Statewide it takes over 8,000 total paid poll workers of all political parties to run an election," Secretary of State Mac Warner said. "Poll workers play a critical role in ensuring elections are run properly and securely and are the lifeblood of successful elections. They deserve the utmost respect and admiration for their services to our communities.
"I strongly encourage any voter who is interested in playing a role in this upcoming Presidential election to sign up at GoVoteWV.com or contact their county clerk to see if there is still a need in their area," Warner continued. "If selected, poll workers will be contacted to schedule an in-person training by the county clerk."