CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It’s Election Day in West Virginia. Polls are open across the Mountain State for the 2014 Primary Election and those polls will stay open until 7:30 p.m.
Voters are deciding on the nominees for many local, state and federal offices including one U.S. Senate seat, all three U.S. House seats, every state House of Delegates seat and half of those in the state Senate.
Levies and school bonds are on many ballots along with non-partisan races for boards of education.
Conrad Lucas, state Republican Party chair, though, was predicting a low voter turnout. “It seems that there’s some spots where there’s some local issues where it’s (expected voter turnout) a little higher in some counties than others, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be much different than it was in 2010,” he said.
The year 2010 was the last midterm primary election in West Virginia and, at that time, the turnout was 24 percent — down from 26 percent during the 2006 midterm primary election. In Kanawha County, the most populated county in the state, officials were predicting a turnout Tuesday of around 15 percent.
Larry Puccio, state Democratic Party chair, said those voters — however small in number — will make the right choices, today and during the Nov. 4 general election. “Overall, we’ve got pretty solid voters in West Virginia,” he said. “I think they’re not going to let out-of-state big money take over this state.”
He was asked on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline” about the possibility that the Republicans nominated today could take control of the state House of Delegates come November. “I’m concerned about every race that will happen in the general election, to make that perfectly clear,” said Puccio.
Lucas said the GOP’s candidates are strong and ready to lead — if given the chance. “It’s really amazing to have this group of folks to be Republicans and be on the ballot,” he said.
Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, said dozens of liaisons from her office will be working to assist local election workers throughout West Virginia on Tuesday. Any citizen who believes he or she has witnessed an election law violation can contact the Secretary of State’s Office at 304-558-6000 or 1-866-SOS-VOTE.
The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
MetroNews will bring you comprehensive coverage of the results of Decision 2014 starting at 7 p.m. on the MetroNews Radio Network and online at www.wvmetronews.com.