By Mannix Porterfield
The Register-Herald
April 22, 2008 04:27 pm
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Convenience is the driving force behind the growing popularity of West Virginia’s “early voting” system that lets voters mark ballots in advance of the designated election day, say two southern West Virginia clerks.
“I think that’s the big factor,” Fayette County Clerk Kelvin Holliday said Monday, two days before the early voting kicks in today.
“People want to vote when they want to vote. And there’s no excuse required any more. It used to be when you had absentee voting, people would need a special reason, such as, ‘I’m in the military, I’m in college, or away on business.’ Now, you can come in and vote early just because you want to.”
Raleigh County Clerk Betty Riffe agreed that convenience is making the idea more popular as time passes.
“That’s what it is,” she said. “With people working and all. It’s just easier for them to stop by. It’s gaining in popularity. It wasn’t very big in the beginning. As each election comes along, it seems to be gaining popularity.”
Voters may stop off at all 55 county courthouses Wednesday through May 10 on business days, and on two Saturdays — May 3 and May 10.
By statute, courthouses must open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the two Saturdays, noted Sarah Bailey, chief of staff for Secretary of State Betty Ireland.
“Regular business days are for regular business hours, which can vary to some degree,” she said.
Early voting was inaugurated in the 2004 primary election and since that time has been picking up steam.
“It’s growing every year,” Bailey said. “More and more people are coming out to take advantage of that option.”
In the past two years, the two major political parties have been losing some ground.
Republican voters have dwindled by .59 percent, while the Democrats have suffered a loss of 1.17 percent, according to figures updated last Friday. In contrast, the non-affiliated voters, or independents, have increased by 1.63 percent, and the Mountain Party has enjoyed an increase of .01 percent.
Republican voters number 347,695, while there are 660,668 state residents registered as Democrats, and 153,749 are non-affiliated. The Mountain Party claims 923 voters, and all others total 12,880.
“We’re about as ready as we’re going to be,” Holliday said.
In advance of the early voting startup, Holliday conducted a special class Monday to provide extra training.
“Everything is going like clockwork so far,” the veteran clerk said. “We’re going to hit the ground running Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. They’ll be lined up at the door. We’ve got to be ready. They always are here (the first day). It never fails.”
Another factor that sends voters early to the courthouse is the uncertainty of the weather on election day. Even in a primary, there’s always the prospect of a chilly, all-day rain.
“That’s always a big factor in your election day turnout,” Holliday said.
This year, the Democratic clerk is expecting big numbers, at least among the Democrats, given the intensity of the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton race.
“Democrats realize this one is going all the way to the convention, and they can have a choice in the matter, despite our late primary,” Holliday said.
“I think it’s going to be a definite draw to bring more people in to vote in this primary. If you don’t get at least half your voters out in your county, I’m going to be very surprised. Not just our county, but every county.”
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