Early Voting Up

If early voting numbers are any indication, Election Day could see a larger turnout than originally predicted.

Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick said she had a feeling early voting would be busy when she saw how busy her office was on the final day to register to vote.

“We had lines all day,” McCormick said. “We haven’t had that in the last few years.”

Kanawha County has the most registered voters in West Virginia. McCormick said there had been more than 5,600 early voters by Wednesday afternoon. There were just more than 9,000 early voters in the 2010 midterms in Kanawha County.

Berkeley County Chief Deputy Clerk of Elections Bonnie Woodfall said there are some very important races in this election and that’s boosting early voter turnout.

“We have a U.S. Senate race to replace Jay Rockefeller, the U.S. House of Representatives race,” Woodfall said. “And all of our delegates are running.”

Woodfall is also predicting more early voters than in 2010.

Cabell County Clerk Karen Cole said with early voting candidates have to change their strategy.

“It’s no longer down to one specific day,” Cole said. “It’s a two-week period you’re looking at.”

Cole said the early voter turnout during the first three days this year was four times more than 2010 in her county.

Early voting runs until Saturday at 5 p.m.