Tag: 2020 Primary

It’s Primary Election Day In West Virginia: Here’s What You Need To Know

 

It’s primary election day here in West Virginia and it’s unlike any election in modern history. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, state officials delayed the state’s May 12 primary and allowed all registered voters to request an absentee mail-in ballot. Per usual, voters also had the opportunity to vote early in person. 

If you’re heading to the polls today to vote, here are a few frequently asked questions and answers. 

What time do polls open? 

Polls open at 6:30 a.m. You must vote at your assigned polling location. If you’re unsure of where you can vote in-person, you can find your polling place by going online to the Secretary of State’s website.

What time do polls close?

Polls close at 7:30 p.m. 

What’s the deal with absentee ballots?

Absentee ballots must be postmarked by the end of the day today. You can also drop them off at your local county clerk’s office. Note: You don’t have to personally return your own absentee ballot, but no one person may deliver more than two voters’ absentee ballots.

If you received an absentee ballot and want to vote in person instead, you’ll need to take the ballot you received in the mail with you to your polling place.

Are there risks to voting in person because of the coronavirus?

State voting officials say they have taken steps to ensure the safety of voters and poll workers. According to West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, that includes disinfecting polling places and providing sanitation and personal protective equipment to local county clerks to give to poll workers. 

“They’re training the poll workers on how to properly cleanse between the different voters and are going to hand out everything from Q-tips, which is a way you can actually touch an electronic screen and cast your vote without actually touching the screen yourself, offering people gloves, that sort of thing,” Warner said in an interview with WVPB. 

Speaking at the governor’s virtual daily press briefing Monday, Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s coronavirus czar, said anyone going to vote should follow the safety guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That includes wearing a mask, staying six-feet away from others and washing your hands or using hand sanitizer often. 

“If you should go out to vote tomorrow, wear your mask and keep your distance, as much as you possibly can,” Marsh said. “It’s an incredibly important right and we want everybody to do it safely.” 

What can you expect at the polls?

That will of course vary depending on where you’re voting, however some county clerks WVPB spoke to leading up to the election said they expect polls to be quiet. 

That’s largely due to the expansion of absentee voting. 

As of June 9, the Secretary of State’s office was reporting 262,362 people or 21.4 percent of registered voters — had requested absentee ballots and 210,749 people or 17.2 percent of registered voters had returned them. 

A total of 1,229,520 West Virginians are registered and eligible to participate in the primary. 

In an emailed press release Friday, the Secretary of State’s office urged voters heading to the polls to “be prepared to be patient” as extra safety measures may slow down voting. 

Still have questions? Check out our pandemic voter guide. 

5 Questions You May Be Too Afraid to Ask About W.Va.’s 2020 Primary

 

The coronavirus pandemic has quickly become the biggest story of 2020, eclipsing the kind of news coverage we’d usually see in the run up to an presidential election. West Virginia will host its primary election next month, on June 9. 

For many of us, civics class was longer ago than we’d like to admit. And even if it wasn’t, there are plenty of changes this year due to COVID-19. (Here’s our primary voting guide if you have questions on how things have changed.) (And here’s our story about key races to watch.)

 

 

What is a magistrate? 

 

A magistrate is a judge that often hears cases related to small crimes, including misdemeanors. Think speeding tickets or other civil violations in which you would be cited and then released.

Magistrates also conduct preliminary examinations in felony cases and civil cases in which the financial dispute is less than $10,000. Additionally, magistrates can issue protective orders related to domestic violence cases. In counties where there are no mental hygiene commissioners, the chief judge can designate a magistrate to handle involuntary hospitalization cases.

In criminal cases, magistrates issue and record affidavits, complaints, arrest warrants, and search warrants, as well as set bail and make decisions concerning proposed plea agreements, the collection of court costs, cash bonds and fines.

According to the West Virginia Judiciary’s website, “Magistrates use their training and sound judgment to oversee the application and enforcement of state laws, municipal laws, and court procedures.”

 

In West Virginia, there are 158 magistrates, with at least two in every county. Magistrate judges do not need a law degree or to have entered into the state bar.

 

How does my registered party affiliation affect which primary I can vote in?

West Virginia has what is known as a “semi-closed” or “hybrid” primary, which very much affects which ballot you will receive and which party’s primaries you can vote in.

If you are registered as a Republican, you can only vote in the Republican primaries. If you are registered as a Democrat, you can only vote in the Democratic primaries. The same goes for those who are registered with the Mountain Party or Independent.

However, if you are registered as “No Party Affiliation” you can choose which party’s ballot you would like to receive for the primary election. That doesn’t mean you can jump from party to party between races (President, Governor, Senate, House, etc.). You can only choose one party’s ballot for all races.

For example, if you are registered as a non-affiliated voter and select a ballot from the Democratic primary, you may only vote to nominate candidates from that party for each race (President, Governor, Senate, House, etc.) The same applies to the Republican or Mountain parties, should you choose one of their ballots. 

For the General Election, every registered voter receives the same ballot. 

 

There was concern early on that COVID-19 could spread by mail. Do I need to worry about this, regarding my mail-in ballot?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the main source of the coronavirus’s spread is from person to person contact through respiratory droplets from an infected person who coughs, sneezes or talks in close proximity to someone else.

However, researchers are still learning about the virus. The CDC says surface transmission, such as through mail, is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but there is some evidence that the virus can survive on some surfaces, such as cardboard, for up to 24 hours. 

The CDC also recommends washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer after collecting mail from a post office or home mailbox.

That being said, because the virus’s main source of spread is from person to person contact, voting absentee is most definitely less risky than voting in-person. 

 

Is it too late to change my party affiliation? 

Yes. The deadline to register to vote or change your party affiliation is 21 days before each election. That date also serves as the deadline to change one’s party affiliation for a primary.

For the 2020 primary scheduled for June 9, the deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation was May 19. 

 

How does a provisional ballot work?

First, it’s important to remember, you cannot be turned away on Election Day if you show up to vote in most states, including West Virginia. Always request a provisional ballot. They serve as a fail-safe if there are administrative errors or if a voter’s eligibility to vote is uncertain. 

According to the Secretary of State’s website, a voter may be offered a provisional ballot if poll workers cannot find your name in the poll book, or you might otherwise be ineligible to vote. 

So, if you recently moved, didn’t get your voter registration in on time, or have some sort of inconsistency in your registration when you tried to vote at their precinct, you’ll likely be offered a provisional ballot. 

It’s up to each county board of canvassers to decide whether or not to accept your provisional ballot, and often it comes down to what the county clerk can find out about you using public records. Each county’s board of canvassers is made up of different county commissioners. 

You can track the status of your provisional ballot by checking with your local County Clerk’s office.

Have other questions? Check out the Secretary of State’s FAQ. 

 

Secretary of State Reports Absentee Voting Fraud Scheme, Provides Little Details

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner said Friday that an alleged absentee voter fraud scheme will not affect the state’s 2020 primary election results. 

Details at this point are scant, but in a press release Thursday evening, Warner said his office and law enforcement discovered the plot early and turned over their findings to the state’s U.S. attorneys. Neither would comment on the matter Friday. 

“I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any matter in our office, or any investigation,” said Mike Stuart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia.

If an indictment is handed up, the announcement would come from U.S. Attorney William Powell for the Northern District of West Virginia, Warner said.

In the Mountain State, all registered voters this year can legally cast absentee ballots in the upcoming primary, to allow for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. In-person early voting is still happening, from May 27 to June 6, and on election day, June 9.

In March, Warner announced that county clerks across West Virginia would be sending every registered voter an application for an absentee ballot. A month later, he announced the creation of a West Virginia Election Fraud Task Force, involving Stuart, Powell, law enforcement and election officials, “to deter voter and election fraud” associated with the primary.

Since ballot applications went out to roughly 1.2 million registered voters in April, more than 235,000 people have applied to vote absentee. Roughly 115,000 already have cast a ballot. 

Only a little more than 6,500 West Virginians voted absentee during the 2016 presidential primary. 

President Donald Trump has criticized Democratic leaders for opening up absentee voting options in states like Michigan, where he threatened to withhold federal funding as that state expanded options to vote by mail. Trump has cited concerns over voter fraud for years without providing evidence; election experts have said the problem is rare, and there’s little evidence that absentee voting works in favor of a certain party. 

Warner echoed the president’s concerns, saying more absentee voting leads to an increase in opportunities for fraud.

“It really irks me to hear reportedly on the national TV and so forth, you’ll hear, ‘well there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.’ You don’t need widespread voter fraud,” Warner told West Virginia Public Broadcasting on Friday. In smaller elections and elections with tied results, he added, a handful of votes matter. 

Former Secretary of State and Democratic candidate Natalie Tennant called on her Republican opponent Warner to disclose more details of the alleged voter fraud. 

“This kind of fly-by-night statement without evidence or explanation hurts the voter’s confidence in the election process,” Tennant said. “It could look like an attempt to suppress voters.”

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member. 

COVID-19 Could Lead To Highest Absentee Ballot 'Turnout' In W.Va. History

Days after the governor issued a stay home order on March 23, Secretary of State Mac Warner announced his office was opening absentee voting to all of the state’s roughly 1.2 million registered voters. 

Since then, nearly 18 percent of those registered so far, or 214,852 people, have requested an absentee ballot from their county clerks. 

That’s 206,873 more requests than county clerks received during the last presidential primary in 2016. Already, more than 86,000 absentee ballots have been cast statewide, compared to the 6,567 that were submitted four years ago.

Historically, the Warner’s office reports less than 3 percent of voters cast an absentee-by-mail ballot, a method usually reserved in West Virginia for those with a serious medical condition, or residents who are out of state due to work or military service. 

“We normally don’t have a lot of absentee ballot requests,” Wirt County Clerk Marolyn Baldridge said. “And so, you know, this year, it’s a whole different ball game.” 

County clerks who send out and accept these ballots, in small and big counties alike, are noticing the uptick. Some are working overtime to keep up.

In Wirt County, home to roughly 3,000 registered voters, there already has been 725 requests. In 2016 Baldridge said there were 21 total ballots cast for the primary election.

Cabell County Clerk Phyllis Smith estimates there is roughly 55,000 registered voters in her county. As of Wednesday, she said she had received 11,016 requests.

“And we have received back 4,121,” she added. Normally, she said her office will see 500 to 1,000 in a presidential primary. 

Roger Toney is the Boone County clerk. His staff of five have received more than 2,400 requests already, from among 15,000 registered voters.

“Before we would have between 50 and 100 absentee ballots, in a whole year for an election,” Toney said.

The Challenge of Absentee Ballots

Absentee ballots require a lot of work. The county clerk’s office must verify signatures. Staff have to make sure people are registered according to the party ballot they requested.

“The work has basically consumed everyone here,” Toney said.

While workers across the state are being encouraged to work from home, and thousands of others have lost their jobs, Toney said his staff have been at the courthouse most days. 

“We were operating on a rotational basis because you know, COVID-19,” Toney said. “Three or four weeks ago, I had to basically call everyone and tell them, ‘you’ve got to come back to work full time.’” 

The Boone County Clerk’s office has lost staffing positions over the years, which Toney says is due to years of declining coal severance taxes that the county uses to fund itself. 

For overtime and other voting costs related to running an election during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary of State’s office has said it will use federal dollars for voting aid to reimburse the counties.

West Virginia received $3.8 million for voting from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which included $400 million in emergency funds to the Help America Vote Act. 

West Virginians have until Tuesday, May 19, to register for the 2020 primary election. Early in-person voting runs from May 27 to June 6. The Secretary of State moved election day from May 12 to June 9. Absentee ballot applications are due June 3.

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

A Pandemic Voter Guide For West Virginia’s 2020 Primary

 

 

West Virginia officials moved the state’s primary election from May 12 to June 9 out of safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, and have expanded options for mail-in voting.

 

Registered voters can vote in person during early voting or on Election Day at a polling location, or by absentee ballot.

 

The last day to register to vote in the primary is May 19. Early in-person voting begins May 27 and ends June 6. You can also vote in person on Election Day, June 9. 

If you still need to register for the primary

You can check to make sure you’re registered to vote and can register online here. The deadline to register to vote is May 19.

 

To register online, you will need:

If you don’t have a driver’s license or ID card number and the last four digits of your Social Security number, you may not submit your form online, but you may enter your information online to be auto-filled in a voter registration application. Once you create your application online, you may print, sign and deliver it to your county clerk by mail or in person.
When you complete the application online it will be submitted to your county clerk for processing. The county clerk will notify you if your application has been accepted or rejected.

If you prefer to complete your voter registration form by hand, you maydownload a blank voter registration form tomail or deliver in person. You can also contact your county clerk and request a voter registration application by mail.

Do I have to vote by absentee?

No. However, all registered voters are permitted to use an absentee mail-in ballot under the “other medical reason” excuse due to the coronavirus.

Every registered voter in West Virginia should receive a mailed absentee ballot application.

 

To vote absentee:

What are the deadlines?

To have your vote counted for the primary, absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, June 9. (This does not apply if you are actively-deployed military or overseas voter.)

 

If you would prefer to hand deliver your absentee ballot, it must be delivered to thecounty clerk’s office by June 8, the day before Election Day.

Note: You don’t have to personally return your own absentee ballot, but no one person may deliver more than two voters’ absentee ballots.

To be accepted, absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day must be received by June 15. 

What if I’m hospitalized on Election Day?

If you are in the hospital on Election Day, two election officials can bring you an emergency absentee ballot. You or a family member should contact your county clerk no earlier than the seventh day before the election and no later than noon on Election Day (June 2-9).

Some counties also allow a voter who recently moved to a nursing home to vote an emergency absentee ballot. In addition, some counties allow voters who, on or after the seventh day preceding an election, become confined to a specific location within the county because of illness, injury, physical disability, immobility due to advanced age, or another medical reason to vote emergency absentee.

Are mail-in ballots a secure way to vote?

Election experts say voter fraud among any type of voting, including mail-in ballot, is extremely rare. According to NPR, mail-in ballotsaccounted for 1 in 4 votes in 2018 and are increasing in popularity.

And the idea has bipartisan support. Mail-in ballots are used in Republican-friendly states such as Florida, Arizona and Utah. Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren has proposed that a mail-in ballot be sent to every voter in the country.

For a look at how states are handling voting during a pandemic,see this chart from the Brennan Center.

But wait, I can still vote in person right?

Yes, you can.

 

From May 27 through June 6  you can early vote in person at the county courthouse, annex or designated community location. Normal business hours and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

You can also vote in person on Election Day, June 9

Find your local polling place here.

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