West Virginians go to the polls today
Tom Blondin checked over the election supplies that were picked up Monday outside the Wood County Courthouse. Poll workers picked up ePoll Books, blank ballot stock and paperwork needed when the voting sites open at 6:30 am this morning. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Wood County worker Rusty Bunner loaded election supplies into a car Monday afternoon outside the Wood County Courthouse. The polls open at 6:30 am this morning and will close this evening at 7:30 pm at the county’s 69 voting precincts. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Tom Blondin checked over the election supplies that were picked up Monday outside the Wood County Courthouse. Poll workers picked up ePoll Books, blank ballot stock and paperwork needed when the voting sites open at 6:30 am this morning. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Wood County worker Rusty Bunner loaded election supplies into a car Monday afternoon outside the Wood County Courthouse. The polls open at 6:30 am this morning and will close this evening at 7:30 pm at the county’s 69 voting precincts. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
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PARKERSBURG -- People will head to the polls today to vote in the 2022 Primary election.
The polls open today at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m. for Wood County's 69 precincts, Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes said.
Over the past couple of weeks during the early voting period there were 4,994 people who cast their ballots early. Rhodes said the numbers were up over pre-pandemic mid-term primaries.
"Friday and Saturday morning were pretty busy, but Saturday afternoon was slow," Rhodes said.
County officials were still working out a number of challenges Monday in regards to getting the poll book data loaded and having the people needed to handle voting at each precinct. Rhodes said they usually need 309 people to man all the election precincts and he has already had a few who have called off. He is currently filling vacancies with personnel from his office.
In talking with other county clerks around the state, he is seeing similar problems.
"Many are still short," he said.
The election equipment was delivered and secured at the voting sites last Thursday and Friday.
The supply commissioners picked up ePoll books, paperwork and ballot stock Monday afternoon. Rhodes said everything has security precautions on them to help secure everything.
On average, the turnout for a mid-term primary election is expected to be at 25-28 percent of the registered voters, Rhodes said.
During early voting they had 85 non-partisan ballots cast which included things like the Wood County Board of Education races and the levies.
Rhodes said that was a high number, adding they usually have less than 25 such ballots cast.
"The board of education levy is expected to bring out a few people," he said.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com