W.Va. Secretary Of State Kris Warner Tours Warwood Tool
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The job of West Virginia’s Secretary of State is twofold. That person not only is the state’s chief election officer, but a large part of their job deals with business registration in the state.
The Mountain State’s current Secretary of State, Kris Warner, has spent his tenure building up the business focus of the office, and spent Wednesday afternoon at one of West Virginia’s most established businesses, Warwood Tool. Officials of the 172-year-old company took Warner and his staff members on a tour of their facility, showing them how workers craft hand tools each day and how the company is trying to evolve and expand.
“We’re putting a focus and attention on trying to find out what businesses need next to be able to expand,” Warner said. “And Warwood Tool is ready to expand even further.”
Company executives told Warner that Warwood Tool’s direct-to-consumer sales have increased annually and that this year’s numbers already have matched last year’s. The company has its eyes on some new equipment that would help grow its business, and Warner was right there with names and phone numbers of people at the West Virginia Economic Development Authority who they could talk to about low-interest loans and other forms of assistance.
Being able to provide those connections is one of the things that pleases Warner about the job.
“If we would wait for Warwood Tool to come to Charleston or go online … these guys are busting their butts every single minute of every day,” he said. “It’s better to meet them here where they are, see it firsthand, see the value of the equipment that they’re going to need to add to grow this business and be able to point them in the right direction.”
The other side of Warner’s job, election supervision, was in the headlines this week as the United States Supreme Court ruled rejected President Donald Trump’s bid to restrict mail ballots for the midterm elections. Warner said it was comforting to know that major revisions weren’t going to be made at the last minute.
“We had a pretty good sense with some ballots being mailed out this week, for people that have already requested absentee ballots, that it’s too late for this,” he said. “I’m sure that’s what the Supreme Court justices saw, that there are several states that already starting to mail out ballots.”
Warner said West Virginia is limited in those who can receive absentee ballots — voters must be homebound, in a hospital or traveling for work where they can’t make it to vote in the 10-day early voting period. And while there are those who question the safety of elections around the country. Warner said West Virginia’s remain safe and secure. He challenged doubters to spend a day as a poll worker to see for themselves.
“Sign up, work a full day and see all the checks and balances that are in place,” he said.