Warner Visits New Elections Officials in Northern Panhandle
Photo by Derek Redd WHEELING – There are 17 new election coordinators among West Virginia's 55 counties heading into the next election. That's just shy of a third of the Mountain State's counties that have new people at the helm of those respective counties' election process. West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner believes that's the largest amount of turnover at one time that he has seen during his tenure in the job.
So it's important for, not only those new officials, but all elections officials in West Virginia to know what resources are available and that the Secretary of State's office is always there to help make the election process as smooth as possible each time.
Warner made the rounds in the Northern Panhandle on Monday, talking to new elections officials in three counties - Wetzel County Clerk Jessica Davis, Marshall County Clerk Connie Howard and Ohio County Elections Coordinator Jessica Klinger.
Even though the 2024 election is a year out, Warner said the work never stops.
"You’re preparing in some form or fashion for getting poll workers, getting the equipment, training people on the equipment getting the ballots ready," he said "We’re dealing with candidates' campaign finance reports, all those sorts of things."
Even though 17 new elections officials out of 55 counties is a large number, Warner said that what helps is about two-thirds of those new officials have worked for years in the county clerk's office. So they're stepping into roles they've been around for a long time.
Still, Warner said it remains very important to get face-to-face with election officials in each county, especially the new ones. By explaining what and who is available to help, those new officials have peace of mind in knowing the Secretary of State's office is ready to assist.
"So she’s much more comfortable, if she has a question, now picking up the phone and calling me and working with our field reps," he said. "This is a key component of the success of the Secretary of State’s office working with clerks is having somebody who will actually darken her door and she won’t be surprised the next time he walks in.
"So she feels very comfortable dealing with him," Warner continued, "and if she has a problem with, say, a new piece of equipment or somebody new in the office she wants to train, it’s a phone call away."
Warner said all election officials in West Virginia should feel confident in the integrity of the voting process in the state. The voting equipment available is the "latest and greatest," Warner said, strongly protected from attempts from outside actors to hack into and disrupt the process. Warner said that, next week, he'll testify before United States Congress about the successes in election integrity in West Virginia.
"And I attribute that to people like Jessica doing their jobs here, making sure things are done right county by county," he said. "And, again, West Virginia has risen to the top in national security and election integrity. And I'm being recognized, but I simply report what I hear from you all."
Klinger has been on the job for a couple of months, and said everyone in the Ohio County elections office has been welcoming and helpful. She added that it's a big boost to her growing on the job to know that the Secretary of State's office is so proactive in helping every county keep the process running smoothly.
"It is comforting," Klinger said, "and just like (Warner) said, now if I have an issue or question, when I pick up the phone and call (field representative Jarrod Summers), I can put a face to the name and it’s not just a person that’s far away. So having that face, you know on the other end of the line helps. And then utilizing the staff in the office who have been here several years can help guide through all this."