CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County seems to have created the perfect storm when it comes to a loaded ballot that will likely produce a higher than average turnout for an off-year general election when the votes are counted Tuesday.
“We have a little bit of everything in this election,” longtime Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick told MetroNews Friday.
That “little bit of everything” includes the race for U.S. Senate, challenged races for the House of Delegates and state Senate, two open seats on the state Supreme Court, proposed constitutional amendments, levies for the school district and public library system, a challenged circuit judge race and a contested race for the mayor’s job in Charleston.
MORE see early voting numbers here
By late Friday morning that ballot had produced nearly 12,800 early voters which blew by the 9,000 early voters in the 2014 mid-term election and was nearing the 14,387 early voters in the 2016 general election.
McCormick said turnout has been somewhat of a surprise.
“We did not expect this and I don’t think the state expected it,” she said.
Early voting ends Saturday evening and several counties have been reporting higher numbers than usual. As of Thursday morning, 121,679 state residents had taken advantage of early voting or had turned in an absentee ballot.
McCormick said she sees no reason why the voter intensity in the early voting period won’t continue next Tuesday when polls open across the state.
“I think we’ll be busy on election day. I don’t know if it will be as busy as we have been but I think they will be busier at the polls for this election,” McCormick said.
The polls open statewide at 6:30 a.m. next Tuesday and close at 7:30 p.m.
You can follow comprehensive election night coverage with MetroNews Decision 2018 on radio and live video streaming on the MetroNews Channel at wvmetronews.com beginning at 7:06 Tuesday night.