CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Clerks in all 55 counties canvas the 2020 General Election Monday morning. Canvassing is confirming all provisional and mail-in ballots before certification of the results.
In Monongalia County, clerk Carye Blaney and staffers will assist county commissioners as they approve each provisional ballot to be counted. The process begins at 9 a.m. in the Election Center at the Mountaineer Mall.
“They will begin the process of reviewing the provisional ballots that were submitted at early voting and election day at our 29 voting locations around the county,” Blaney said.
A ballot can be declared “provisional” if a voter’s eligibility is in question or challenged, if the registration contains outdated information or if a voter requests an absentee ballot and did not receive it.
The Monongalia County Commission will be considering more than 300 provisional ballots during their process.
“There will be a number they vote on to count and add to the unofficial election results from election night,” Blaney said.
Also included in the process will be about 1,000 absentee ballots that were mailed.
“All of the ballots that we received from November 5 through the day of the canvas will be reviewed to make sure they have a postmark that was on November 3 or prior,” Blaney said. “Those ballots, if they have a proper postmark will be counted.”
The guidelines for mail-in or absentee ballots are different for members of the military or people overseas.
“If there is a ballot that comes from a military or overseas voter and we receive it by the day of canvas, on November 9 we will count it with or without a postmark,” Blaney said. “That’s under West Virginia state law.”
Monongalia County voters will be watching the count in the District 51 House of Delegates where Democrat John Williams clings to a 25 vote lead over Republican Cindy Frich.
Voters will also be watching the race for Monongalia County commissioner between incumbent Republican Ed Hawkins and Democrat Jeff Arnett with 162 vote lead.
In Marion County, voters will learn the winner of the race between incumbent sheriff Jimmy Riffle and former sheriff Jor Carpenter. Riffle has less than a 200 vote lead in that race.