PARKERSBURG - Deadline for voter registration for the Nov. 6 General Election is Oct. 16.
Early voting will commence Oct. 24 and go to Nov. 3 at the usual early vote precinct, which will be set up in the Judge Black Courthouse Annex. Hours will be 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. The county will again also offer four auxiliary early vote community voting precincts. These additional early vote sites were offered for the first time during the May primary.
"We were faced with the choice of either having to hire more staff to work election day or do the additional early voting sites, that's why we did this. Hopefully it will take some of the pressure off election day. With the presidential, senatorial, governor's and local contested races on the ballot, we are anticipating a strong turnout on election day. We envision a lot of voters taking advantage of the early voting opportunities," said Wood County Clerk Jamie Six.
Six reminded voters all ballot styles will be available at all early voting sites.
"Obviously we would encourage the voters to take advantage of the early vote opportunities. It would help us election day from having lines we typically have during a presidential election. So, if they've made a decision and want to cast their ballot early or if they want to wait, it's their option," Six said.
The auxiliary sites will be at the Williamstown City Building, Vienna City Building, Mineral Wells Volunteer Fire Department and Lubeck Volunteer Fire Department. The community voting sites will be open Oct. 30 through Nov. 3, with hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The community vote sites will only be open the one Saturday.
Voter registration deadline for the November election is Oct. 16.
"We have really been inundated with new voter registrations and absentees. It's probably comparable to the general election of 2008," said deputy clerk Elizabeth Beary.
The deadline for the clerk's office to receive an absentee ballot application is Oct. 31. The application must be received in the office by that date, not postmarked by that date.
Beary said a registration concern raised by some relates to those obtaining registration forms from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Residents can register through the DMV. They are asked if they wish to do so while there doing other business.
"The problem is they are given the form that asks if they want to register and many think by just checking the yes box that means they are automatically registered to vote. But you have to fill out the actual registration form, which is then sent to the secretary of state's office, then forwarded onto the appropriate county clerks' office," Beary explained.
If you are interested in registering while at the DMV make sure you fill out the voter registration form. If you don't receive the form, one can be picked up at the voter registration office on the fourth floor of the Wood County Courthouse with office hours of 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or by call 304-424-1860. Anyone wishing to check the status of their registration can call the clerk's voter registration office.
As of Wednesday, there were 54,834 Wood Countians registered to vote in the general election; 20,885 Democrats; 21,762 Republicans; 11,700 no party and the rest 487. There were 54,157 registered to vote in the primary; 20,872 Democrats; 21,521 Republicans; 11,299 no party, and 465 other. Turnout for the primary was 27.7 percent in Wood County. There were 3,730 who voted early in the primary.
More information is available online at the West Virginia Secretary of State's website at www.sos.wv.gov or the Wood County website at www.woodcountywv.com, go to the County Clerk icon and click on election information.
