WHEELING – West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner suggests the best way for West Virginians to gain confidence in elections is to be a poll worker, witness voting machine demonstrations and just get involved in the election process.

Warner came to Wheeling Monday just after being the first statewide candidate to file for office in 2024 at the Secretary of State’s Office in Charleston. Warner is seeking the office of governor this year.

Warner was set to visit Ohio and Monongalia counties on Monday to observe and address any issues clerks might be having on the first day of the 2024 election filing season – which extends through Saturday, Jan. 27. He will continue on to stops in other counties in the coming days.

During the visits, Warner is promoting a fair, safe and secure election, reminding voters to register to vote or update their registration and recruiting registered voters to be Election Day poll workers.

He is also encouraging the public to educate themselves with voter resources available at GoVoteWV.com.

“The first thing we ask is for people to be involved – that is to take advantage of the transparency (in West Virginia elections) that the county clerks and elections directors are giving you when they are testing the voting machines. They do that publicly,” Warner said.

Being a poll worker is the best way to gain confidence in the election, he continued.

“You get to see the checks and balances, and that the machines are not connected to the internet. You see the security measures that are in place,” Warner said. “Plus, you will be part of the civic process of getting to know your community.

“Those are the types of things we encourage people to participate in, because it builds confidence in the elections,” he continued. “You see people working the polls that you know. And if you have questions about security, if you are participating as a poll worker, you see the process as it is going on.”

Warner said he is confident in the election process as it happens in smaller states like West Virginia and its smaller counties. The counties are using the latest technology for voting, yet there is still a paper-trail backup.

“Where we have problems are in certain counties and certain cities in swing states – and that’s for a good reason,” he continued. “If there is going to be a problem, that is where the problem is going to be.

“There is not going to be a problem in a very red state like West Virginia, or a very blue state like California. It’s going to be in a purple state – like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona or Nevada,” he said.