Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick says her office received numerous reports of long lines at the county’s polling places Tuesday.
“This is a busy election,” McCormick said. “There are lines out there. Voters are having to wait a little bit.”
Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood says it’s the same in his county.
“Every presidential (election) always amps up a lot but it seems to be a very heavy turnout,” Wood said.
McCormick says she’s still sticking with her turnout prediction, but she hopes she’s wrong.
The veteran clerk says there were the regular problems during the early hours of election day. She says poll workers didn’t show up in some areas and there was no heat in one precinct. She says the issues were dealt with quickly.
McCormick says she’s hopeful the long lines stick around to the time the polls close at 7:30. She says she likes to hear about the long lines.
“Yes I do,” she said. “Presidential elections are always busier, but people are really, really interested in this election.”
Wood predicts there will be voters in line at 7:30 in Putnam County when the polls close but they will still get to vote.
“That’s okay. We’ll take care of them,” Wood said. “As long as they’re there before 7:30 that’s our job to make sure their vote is put in place and counted and that’s what we’ll do.”