CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick says she hopes the 117,000 letters her office sent out to voters in recent weeks about changes created by redistricting will help them as they head to the polls Tuesday for the primary election.
Some voters have new voting locations and all county residents will find themselves voting in single-member House of Delegates districts because of redistricting.
Approximately 6,200 residents cast ballots in the 10-day early voting, which was close to 1,000 less than the off-year election four years ago. McCormick believes that points to a low turnout Tuesday.
“We’ll be lucky to get 28%,” McCormick said.
Polls open Tuesday morning at 6:30 and close Tuesday night at 7:30.
Kanawha County had two of the handful of multi-member districts still left in West Virginia before redistricting. Both House District 35 and District 36 were multi-member districts. Those have now been split up into single-member districts.
“Now everyone will have one delegate only to vote for,” McCormick said.
McCormick said she hopes voters paid attention to the letters she office mailed out.
“We wanted to let them know what their precinct number was, where they vote, what delegate district they are in and what senatorial district, so they could do some research and know who their candidates are,” McCormick said.
Kanawha County precincts within the city of Charleston will also include the city primary election on their electronic voting machines Tuesday. Renewal of the transportation and public safety levy will be on machines at all precincts.
McCormick was in need Monday afternoon of some last minute poll workers for Tuesday after a few called in and cancelled Monday. If interested residents can call 304-357-0110