CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Connie Perry, an early voter from Charleston has been early voting in elections on the first day of the 10-day period for years. She said she has never seen a turnout on the first day such as Wednesday morning.
Wednesday marks the first day in West Virginia to early vote in-person for the Nov. 3 General Election. Perry cast her ballot at the Voter Registration Office in downtown Charleston, one of eight locations in Kanawha County, after waiting in a socially-distanced line that stretched around the block.
“I have been coming down here for early voting to this location for five years. We’ve only been up on the first block of the street. This is the longest (line) I have seen for early voting, ever,” Perry told MetroNews.
Perry believes that from the crowd she saw in line before the polls even opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday and the talk around the country, there will be a record turnout on Election Day.
“There’s so much media attention and a lot of discussion about who would do the best job for West Virginia. Of course, everyone has their own opinion and this is the only way they are going to exercise it. They can’t just talk, they have to come out and vote,” she said.
Kelly Jones, an early voter from Charleston echoed the same thought as Perry, predicting “the largest turnout in history.”
Jones said she believes that will be the case because people of West Virginia and the United States want change.
“We are up against some of the problematic things that we’ve ever, at least in my lifetime, ever faced. I think people are tired of it and there has to be a change,” she said.
More than 91,000 votes were cast before Wednesday through statewide absentee ballots, according to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office.
138,073 absentee ballots have been requested as of Tuesday and that includes Perry’s sister. October 28 is the deadline to request an absentee ballot.
“My sister did absentee and she feels that is more convenient because she didn’t want to get up and come vote,” Perry said.
“I think it’s good to have options because there are a lot of people who aren’t mobile and that’s the only way they can vote. It works out for everybody.”
Jones said early voting in-person was the best option for her.
“I was just a little concerned about absentee ballots getting in on time. I wanted to either vote early or vote in-person on election day,” she said.
The Secretary of State’s Office showed on Tuesday that voter registration for Republicans and Democrats is almost even. The general election, featuring a presidential race and gubernatorial race, will have 470,083 Democrats (37% of the electorate) who are eligible to vote and 458,391 Republicans (36% ). There are 288,000 registered voters (22%) that declare ‘no party.’
Jones said she is voting mostly Democrat.
“I really hope to turn this red state blue. I don’t know that I can but I will certainly do my part,” she said.
Voters are asked to wear masks when voting early of on Election Day. Poll workers across the state have completed the traditional training plus training on precautions because of COVID-19.
Other locations in Kanawha County to early vote until Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday include Cross Lanes Sheriff’s Detachment, Belle Town Hall, St. Albans City Hall, Sissonville Library, Elkview Community Center, Marmet Town Hall, and City of Nitro Police Department.
“I never miss voting. I think it is one of our gifts that we have in this country that we should exercise,” Perry said.
Story by Jake Flatley