The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

October 31, 2008

Officials promote voting Web site

Christian Giggenbach

State election officials are urging citizens to use a new Web site chock full of voting information prior to Tuesday’s general election to avoid common snafus at the ballot box.

The Web site, http://wvvotes.com, includes information about individual voting precincts, a voter’s registration status, sample ballots and a “frequently asked questions” section, plus several other features.

The Web site will also automatically post election returns from each county clerk’s office on election night.

Jason Williams, election division manager for the secretary of state’s office, said trying to vote in the wrong precinct and not being registered to vote are two of the common mistakes made on Election Day.

“The Web site has a link where you can enter your name and birth date and it will tell you if you are registered to vote or not and tell you which precinct you are registered in,” Williams said. “It also gives you district information about the House of Delegates and the state Senate. There is also a sample ballot link so you can look at the ballot before voting.”

A review of the Web site also found the voter’s political affiliation and the location of his or her polling place. Williams said general information about voters is public information. However, how a person voted remains strictly confidential and is not recorded by the state.

Williams said first-time voters must show some form of identification to the poll workers on Election Day, but that provision is not required for other voters. To avoid voting fraud, poll workers are required to match signatures kept on file at the county clerk’s office.

“If you are not voting for the first time, you are not required to show your ID or have a voter’s registration card,” Williams said.

Williams said no matter the reason, no voter should be turned away from a polling place on Election Day. However, his or her ballot could be challenged and thrown out when the election is certified by the county commission.

“If you vote in the wrong precinct or you are not registered to vote, that vote will not count,” Williams said.

Williams said since 2004, if a ballot is challenged — also called a provisional ballot — then poll workers are required by law to give that person a “tracking form” that has a toll-free phone number on it that can be called after the canvass to determine if the person’s vote was counted.

Voters can call 1-866-SOS-VOTE on or prior to Election Day to learn more about voting procedures.

“We urge all voters to review their ballots and to make sure they know where their precinct is prior to Election Day,” Williams said.

— E-mail:

cgiggenbach@register-herald.com

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