CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango says the recently approved early voting site on the West Side of Charleston was the location that made the most sense and one of the few locations that welcomed being a site.
Appearing on Tuesday’s 580-LIVE on 580-WCHS, Salango said the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council building works out on multiple levels. The Kanawha County Commission voted 3-0 last week to add the voting site despite opposition from local Republicans.
“The good thing about the Girls Scouts of Black Diamond Council building is that it’s walkable by many, it’s on a bus line, it’s handicap accessible, there’s plenty of parking, and quite frankly they let us use the building,” Salango said.
The commission discussed the approval of using space at the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council building earlier this month, but the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee objected to utilizing the space.
580-WCHS previously reported that ahead of last week’s commission meeting, the state Republican Party accused the commission of wanting to open an early voting location in the “most Democrat-friendly location in Kanawha County” as other sites were being closed.
Salango said Tuesday the commission wanted to find a site that may alleviate the long lines often found at the Voter’s Registration Office in downtown Charleston early voting site. He said nothing could be found on the East End of Charleston.
Salango further said the commission is always looking to expand early voting but it costs money and needed the find a location of need.
“There is one in Nitro and St. Albans. I’d love to have one in Dunbar, I’d love to have one in Alum Creek but each one costs money,” Salango said.
“We have to have more voting machines, we have to have more paid workers. IT’s tough now to get election workers.”
Salango then responded to a texter of the show stating they could drive from the West Side to another site, “Some people can’t and some people have disabilities and can’t get rides. Quite frankly, we needed it. This was demand-based. We looked at other areas as well.”
During the commission meeting last week, Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper recognized there may be a legal challenge against the voting site, but he is confident in the commission’s approval and his staff’s review.
“If someone wants to do that, then we’ll do that,” he said.
The commission additionally approved eight other early community voting sites last week:
– Marmet town hall.
– Nitro Police Department headquarters.
– Voter’s Registration Office in Charleston.
– Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office detachment in Cross Lanes.
– Belle town hall.
– Saint Albans town hall.
– Sissonville library.
– Elkview Community Center.