Early Voting Gets Under Way in West Virginia - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Early Voting Gets Under Way in West Virginia

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Starting on Wednesday, April 25 voters in West Virginia began heading to the polls to cast ballots in the May 8 Primary election.  There are ten days of early voting in the 2012.

From the 25th to May 5 voters can stop by their local courthouse or courthouse annex during regular business hours to vote.  There will be no early voting on Sunday, April 29.

According to West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, early voting is very popular in the Mountain State.  In the 2008 primary, more than 70,000 West Virginians voted early.

"The early voting period really represents a time when the voter can decide when they want election day to be, when it is convenient for them to go cast their ballot," said Tennant. "In casting your ballot, it really represents your voice, and if you don't vote, how is government or an elected official supposed to know what you want in government. So you need to take the opportunity to get out and vote, whether it's during the early voting period or on election day."

The Secretary of State's office has 1,226,545 voters on the rolls who are eligible to cast a ballot in the primary.