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Be prepared to vote May 10

By Staff | May 9, 2016

This coming Tuesday is the Primary Election in West virginia. Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. for voters to select their choices for offices–some to face off again in November and some to be declared the winner now.

Please be mindful that there are several offices that will be decided with the vote on Tuesday. All judges, magistrates and school board members will only appear on this May ballot so the choices made now are the choices made.

Those offices fall on the back pages of the five-page Republican ballot voters will find as they enter the polling place and the voting booth.

On the first page of the ballot are national offices to select your candidate of choice for President and the House of Representatives. Also on this front page you will find state and local offices including Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, State Sneator, Circuit Clerk, County Commissioners, County Clerk, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff and Assessor.

Filling several pages of the Republican ballot will be lists of names for Delegates to the National Convention. Be aware that you may select up to 22 of these individuals. If you select more than 22, your choices will be invalidated. It is acceptable to choose fewer than 22 of the individuals.

The Democrat ballot is only two pages long because there are no selections for Delegates to a National Convention.

The poll workers at your precinct will provide you with the appropriate ballot based upon your designation of Republican or Democrat when you registered to vote. If you were registered as an Independent, you will receive an Independent ballot that only contains the offices of non-partisan candidates including judges, magistrates and Board of Education members.

You may, as an Independent, request either a Republican or Democrat ballot if you choose; however, you must ask for it–the poll workers will not ask if you would prefer a party designated ballot.

Polls close Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. and results of the days election are typically available by 9:30 p.m. One may visit the Jefferson County Courthouse and observe the process of ballot counting or check in with the County Clerk’s website at www.jeffersoncountywv.org/county-government/elected-officials/county-clerk/voter-registration-elections.

Regardless of your party affiliation, it is your civic duty to get out and vote. Many have voted early this year, yet there are thousands who are registered in our county who did not take advantage of that early voting time.

The future of our country, our state, our county–it all lies in the hands of the voters. Between now and Tuesday, research the candidates; make informed decisions; realize that it is up to each of us to vote and help shape the next few years.

If we don’t step up, then we have not right to voice displeasure in the choices made.