MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Early voting begins Wednesday, and Secretary of State Kris Warner has important information to make the visit to the polls as painless as possible.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Warner urged voters to get election-related information from your county clerk or the portal at the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website, not social media. Information taken from social media is unverifiable in many cases and could originate from a foreign country. Warner said if you want local information, your county clerk will be the source for accurate and timely information.
“There’s just an unbelievable amount of misinformation and disinformation that gets transferred via social media,” Warner said. “We urge people with questions or concerns to go to one of those trusted sources.”
House Bill 3016 requires voters to present a photo ID in order to cast a ballot. Voters unable to comply with the law can file an affidavit at the polling location and cast a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot is counted once election officials can verify the identity.
“Bring a driver’s license, a passport, or a military ID, or if you’re a teacher in the public school system, that’s been issued a photo ID that counts as well,” Warner said.
House Bill 4865 expanded the pool of potential poll workers by extending eligibility to 16- and 17-year-olds. Previously, 16- and 17-year-olds could work as runners at an election office but could not work at the polls or register to vote until the age of 18. The students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and permission from a parent or guardian.
“They’ll get paid just like anyone else gets paid,” Warner said, “but it’s a neat opportunity for someone who cannot register to vote yet—they can still work in the polling place.”
One of the trusted sources for election information is the Secretary of State portal, Go Vote WV. Residents can check their voter registration information, polling locations, and every sample ballot across the state. Warner recommends checking your sample ballot before traveling to the polls to make sure you’re prepared.
“You can get a sample ballot,” Warner said. “Every sample ballot in the state pops up when you put in your name and your address. You can see every name on the ballot and do your research in advance.”
On election night the results of all the major party candidates will be released and then certified by county commissions about a week later. The complete totals, including official write-in ballots, will not be made public until the canvassing process is completed.
“They will give the unofficial results for the major party candidates on election night, but the tally for the write-in candidates won’t occur until the canvassing of the ballots,” Warner said.