CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Voting places in parts of three West Virginia counties — Kanawha, Nicholas and Webster — are being relocated for the Nov. general election due to damage from the June flood.
Overall, though, no poll changes are necessary in most of the 12 counties that were part of the initial Federal Disaster Declaration following the June 23 storms, including Greenbrier County.
“Nothing is changing, everybody is where they’ve always been,” reported Paula Dunford, chief deputy clerk for elections in Greenbrier County on Tuesday, four weeks ahead of Election Day.
Precinct changes could have been made by counties up to 90 days before the election, which was Aug. 10, without notifications to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Any emergency location shifts made after Aug. 10 were required to be submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office by Sept. 9.
The only request for an emergency precinct change related to flooding, which was granted, came from Webster County where Precinct 22, formerly located at the Camden on Gauley mayor’s office, is now at Camden Water Works.
Clerk officials in Webster County told MetroNews the relocation was a temporary move for the Nov. general election only.
In Nicholas County, two locations in Richwood were changed because of flood damage. Precinct Seven was moved to Cherry River Elementary, while Precinct Nine was relocated to Richwood’s Alumni Association Center.
For Kanawha County voters in the Clendenin and Elkview areas, a number of precinct location changes have been implemented due to extensive flood damage to two school buildings.
Precinct 420, previously located at Herbert Hoover High School, has been moved to Bridge Elementary School. Precincts 418, 419 and 441, in which voters used to cast ballots at Clendenin Elementary School, were shifted to First Baptist Church, 500 Virginia St., Clendenin.
Though parts of entire Greenbrier County communities were destroyed in the June Flood, Dunford said the polling places were spared.
“Praise God that nothing (precinct-wise) was damaged in White Sulphur Springs. We go to the White Sulphur Springs Elementary School and nothing was damaged there, so we’ll be able to go there,” Dunford said.
“Nothing was damaged up Route 92, up Alvon, we’ll be able to continue there and in Rainelle as well, nothing was damaged, City Hall or Rainelle Elementary School.”
In addition to Greenbrier County, clerks and other election officials reported no precinct changes due to the June flood in eight other flood-affected counties: Fayette, Roane, Clay, Summers, Jackson, Lincoln, Monroe and Pocahontas.
Several voting precincts in southern Roane County were used as shelters and supply hubs in the days and weeks after the storms of June 23.
Oct. 18 is the last day to register to vote or change registrations in West Virginia. Early voting begins on Oct. 26 and runs through Nov. 5.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Polls will be open that day from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.