CHARLESTON W.Va. — There is only a few more days left in the early voting period in West Virginia and reports are there has been a brisk pace of voters in and out of voting sites around the state.
Three county clerks appeared on MetroNews ‘Talkline’ and all of them said the numbers are up from past elections.
Donnie Plotner, the Chief Deputy of Elections for the Berkeley County Clerk’s Office, says his county is averaging over 1,000 voters per day and has 6,272 ballots cast as of Wednesday morning.
“It’s completely because of more interest in the election,” he said. “Just hearing people saying I have to get out and actually vote this time and get my voice heard. That’s what we hear.”
Harrison County Clerk Susan Thomas agrees with Plotner, noting the interest for voters in this specific election. Thomas says they already more than 600 voters during the early voting period than the entire early voting period in the 2016 midterm.
“It’s been an exceptional turnout, she said. “I think there is additional interest. There is so much on social media that you are seeing, you’re seeing things on TV but I believe that is where it is coming from.”
The total number of ballots cast in Harrison County as of Wednesday morning was 3,586.
In Putnam County, Clerk Brian Wood says they have had 4,876 ballots cast so far.
“That’s high for a non-presidential election,” he said. “There are slow and steady streams now, lines aren’t too busy, so get out and get your vote heard today. As the weekend gets closer, the more crowded it’s going to get.”
“I think we are going to have a higher turnout than we normally do in off-year elections. However, I think more people are getting used to this early voting and like it because it meets their schedule.”
Early voting in West Virginia runs through this Saturday, November 3.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6.