Published: May 10, 2008 12:28 am            

West Virginia early voting hits record

CHARLESTON — A record number of West Virginians have cast early ballots for a primary in advance of Tuesday’s election.

While a likely result of the Democratic presidential campaigns’ increasing focus on the state, officials in some counties said they had expected even higher turnouts.

With early voting ending Saturday, Secretary of State Betty Ireland reported 49,982 ballots cast in 52 of West Virginia’s 55 counties between April 23 and Friday. Ireland’s office said another 4,916 absentee ballots have been returned.

About 71 percent of these voters have been Democrats, who outnumber Republicans in the state by nearly 2-to-1. The majority party invited unaffiliated voters into its primary for the first time this year, though just 6.2 percent of the early voters were independents or nonpartisans.

The Democrats’ primary ballot also features contested races for governor, state Supreme Court and secretary of state. The 2nd Congressional District and numerous legislative races also give voters in that primary a choice.

“I was driving through Harrison County the other day, and they must have eight people running for county commission,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Nick Casey. “On a local level, races like that will get people energized.”

But the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns have sought to flush out early voters the most. At stake are 18 of West Virginia’s delegates to the Democrats’ national convention — three men and three women in each of its three U.S. House districts.

As volunteers for both candidates canvassed neighborhoods across the state, Hillary Clinton rallied supporters Wednesday in Shepherdstown and Thursday in Charleston. Former President Bill Clinton barnstormed on her behalf through a string of towns Thursday and Friday. Obama has slated a Monday appearance, with surrogates hitting up voters in Huntington, Wheeling and Weirton on Thursday.

West Virginia launched “no excuse” early voting in 2002. The previous high for a primary was in 2004, also a presidential election year, when 27,226 voters came out early. The 2006 primary total was 25,850.

But this year’s primary early voting has not exceeded that of either the 2006 or 2004 general elections. Nor has it eclipsed 2007’s totals in the four counties that voted on allowing casino table games at their local racetracks.

With Clinton and Obama’s in-state campaigns centered in Charleston, Kanawha County reported 5,905 early voters. But more than 10,270 county residents cast early ballots over table games last year.

Ohio County saw 3,161 early voters over table games in 2007, compared to 1,861 in the primary as of Friday.

“I don’t think we’ve been that busy, it’s just these last few days where it’s started to pick up,” said Toni Chieffalo, the county’s election coordinator. “It could pick up on Saturday, though... Some people like to wait to the last minute.”

Obama in particular has reached out to young voters. Cabell County, home of Marshall University, counted 2,716 early voters. Monongalia County, which includes West Virginia University, reported 1,893 early ballots.

“I would have expected a higher voter turnout, honestly,” said Monongalia County Clerk Carye Blaney. “But it is picking up every day.”

        

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