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The state's first "no excuse" voting by absentee ballot starts in April. Calhoun, not
unlike most West Virginia counties, has experienced very low voter turnout,
sometimes under 30 percent.
Circuit Clerk Shelia Garretson said the polls (in her office) will be open 15 days prior
to Primary Election Day on May 14.
Absentee voting will be allowed for "easy voting" and no-strings-attached from April
29, and will close on May 13 at 1 p.m.
In previous years, voters were required to sign affidavits stating they would be out of
the area. No longer necessary.
No excuse voting has been started in other states, with some increase in voter
turnout.
County Clerk Richard Kirby said the absentee ballots will be counted through the
automatic machine shortly after the polls close. New absentee voting commissioners
are being appointed to just monitor the absentee ballots.
Meanwhile, the search goes on for a few more poll workers in the county. The
Calhoun Commission raised the poll workers pay from $80 to $100. Both Democrat
and Republican executive committees have submitted names for poll workers, but a
few gaps remain, according to Kirby.
Kirby has announced the County Clerk's office will be extending hours to register,
amend or correct voter registration. The last day to register for the May primary is
April 24 at 4:30 p.m.
The extended hours:
Saturday, April 20 - 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Monday, April 22 - 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23 - 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.
The testing of the automatic optical scanner voting machine will be conducted on
May 7 at 10 a.m. in the County Clerk's office. "The test will be open to representatives
of both political parties, the press, candidates and the public," said Kirby.
Poling places for Calhoun:
Precinct 1: Brooksville - Brooksville Baptist Church
Precinct 4: Grantsville area - Little Court Room, Grantsville
Precinct 5: Big Springs - Pleasant Hill School
Precinct 6: Grantsville corporation - Senior Citizens Center
Precinct 7: Mt. Zion area - Calhoun County Park
Precinct 8: Pleasant Hill area - Pleasant Hill School
Precinct 10: Arnoldsburg area - Arnoldsburg School
Precinct 11: Hur-Daniels Run - Calhoun Middle/High School
Precinct 15: Minnora area - Minnora Community Center
Precinct 19: Orma area - Minnora Community Center
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