Today is Election Day in W.Va. :More than 3,500 people vote early ahead of today's primary election

Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, W.Va.
Updated ·2 min read

May 14—By GREG JORDAN

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

PRINCETON — Over 3,400 early votes and around 330 absentee ballots from Mercer County's voters were among the over 90,000 ballots cast across West Virginia before today's 2024 Primary Election.

Election Day is today. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

More than 90,000 early ballots were cast statewide ahead of Election Day, West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner said Monday.

According to information reported by the county clerks in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), a total of 84,648 voters participated in early voting in person from May 1 to 11, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

Additionally, 6,212 absentee ballots have been recorded as returned to the clerks. Absentee totals for the 2024 Primary Election will continue to rise as postmarked absentee ballots will be accepted until the start of canvass on May 20.

During the last day of early voting on Saturday, 460 early ballots were cast, said Mercer County Chief Registrar Marie Hill.

Mercer County had a total of 3,439 early votes, Hill said.

County Clerk Verlin Moye said that his office had mailed out about 400 absentee ballots. Voters had returned 315 absentee ballots Monday afternoon.

"We'll end up with around 330," he said.

In comparison to previous elections, West Virginia had the following absentee and early voters: — 2016 Primary Election; absentees returned 6,567 ballots and early voters cast 102,299 ballots. — 2020 Primary Election; (Pandemic): absentees returned 225,411 ballots and early voters cast 43,483 ballots. — 2024 Primary Election absentees returned 6,212 ballots and early voters cast 84,648 ballots.

Warner reminded the public that these early voting and absentee totals were generated using voter history voluntarily reported by county clerks. By state law, voter history does not have to be finalized by the clerks until 80 days after the primary election.

Polls are open in all 55 counties from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m today. Voters standing in line by 7:30 p.m. will be given a waiting voter's permit that guarantees them the opportunity to vote, according to a news release from the Secretary of State's office.election violations can be reported directly to the WV Secretary of State's Office using a smartphone.

by texting "WV" to 45995 and then filling out the mobile complaint form provided. Photos can be attached to the complaint form but pictures should never be taken of voters in the process of voting.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com