The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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January 11, 2010

Beckley possibly eliminating city primary elections

By Amelia A. Pridemore

The mayor’s and all seven council members’ seats were at stake during the last Beckley city election in 2007 — and not even one quarter of voters went to the polls.

Now, city leaders who want to increase voter turnout and save costs are proposing election procedure changes. Mayor Emmett Pugh said a proposed amendment to the city’s charter would eliminate the city’s March primary election. Everyone who wants to run for office would be on the ballot in a single, nonpartisan election in May.

An ordinance to amend the charter is up for a first reading at Tuesday night’s Beckley Common Council meeting. If approved, the ordinance will then move to a public hearing and final vote at the next meeting Jan. 26. Upon that approval, city voters would make the ultimate decision this May.

The next Beckley municipal election is in 2011.

Pugh said city leaders have two objectives. One is getting more people involved in city elections as voters. The second is saving money. If the city had only one election, that would save $45,000 to $50,000.

The city’s primary elections have been in March. Pugh said weather is unpredictable during that month, and the city is already having elections during an off-year. When the city has general elections in May, most races are decided. Three council candidates were also unopposed in the primary.

Voter turnout during the city’s 2007 primary election was 13.59 percent. That number dropped to 5.72 percent for the general election. The city’s Ward 3 council race was tied on the March primary election night. It was decided by two votes during a canvass.

In the 2007 election, there was only one Republican candidate running for any city office. Therefore, all city races were decided in the Democratic primary except the council at-large race. As of December 2006, the city had 12,955 registered voters. Of those voters, 3,086 were Republicans, 1,392 designated no party choice and 8,477 were Democrats.

Pugh said he did not know if changing the election process would attract more Republican voters.

“The intent is to increase turnout, period — Democrats, Republicans, either one,” he said.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com

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