Close to 1,000 ballots heading to voters
by KATE SHUNNEY
Staff with the Morgan County Clerk’s office mailed out 917 absentee ballots on Friday, September 18 – the first day clerks could send out ballots to registered voters who had requested them.
More ballots will be mailed out at voters request the mail-in option to participate in the general election.
Clerk Kim Nickles said her election staff hand-delivered the first batch of ballots to the local post office and would continue to do so throughout the election process.
Voters have until October 28 to request a mail-in ballot for the November election. Those requests can be made online with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office or through the County Clerk’s office in the Morgan County Courthouse.
The County Clerk can be reached at 304-258-8547 or by email at knickles@morgancountywv.gov.
Registered voters in West Virginia have three ways to participate in the election – they can vote by mail in this coming General Election, cast their ballots in person during Early Voting at the county courthouse. or vote in the county’s 13 precincts on Election Day, November 3.
Those who wish to vote by mail (absentee ballot) must make a request to get that ballot. Voters will specify that COVID-19 is the medical reason for receiving a paper ballot.
Election officials will verify that the absentee ballot request is from a registered voter, and will then mail a ballot to that voter. Completed ballots can be returned to the Morgan County Clerk by mail or can be dropped off at the clerk’s office in the courthouse. Ballots being returned by hand to the County Clerk’s office must be received by November 2.
Absentee ballots will be counted with all other votes cast in each of the county’s precincts.
Early voting, in-person voting
Early Voting will be open on the county’s touchscreen voting machines at the County Clerk’s office from October 21 to October 31 during office hours. Early voting is also held on the two Saturdays during this 10-day period from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Election Day, local polls around Morgan County will be open to voters from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Other deadlines
Residents have until October 13 to register to vote in the November 3 general election. Voter registration can be done at the County Clerk’s office, or can be initiated through the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office online.
