MORGANTOWN — If you go by percentage of registered voters, the 2008 general election saw Monongalia County’s highest participation rate, at 62%
But if you go by the actual number of ballots cast, Monongalia County Clerk Carye Blaney said the 2020 general election’s 42,106 ballots (56.51%) is about 8,000 more than 2008 and 5,000 more than the 2016 general election.
Of the 42,106 ballots that made up Tuesday’s unofficial results, a county-record 20,907 were cast during early voting; 11,568 were cast on Election Day and 9,631 were absentee ballots.
Blaney has said there are as many as 1,000 additional absentee ballots that could be counted as long as they were postmarked by Election Day and arrive before the conclusion of canvassing, on Monday.
The numbers in Monongalia County are in line with what Secretary of State Mac Warner called a “historic” turnout statewide.
According to information from Warner’s office some 393,000 West Virginians had already voted come Election Day through absentee ballots and the 10-day early voting period. Roughly 400,000 more got to the polls Tuesday.
That surpasses any previous election year, with participation in the 64-65% range. Further, if you remove voters who haven’t participated in an election in more than six years, the number jumps over the 70% mark, Warner said.
Warner praised both county clerks and state leadership for the high turnout and smooth election process despite ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
“Everybody in West Virginia should be proud of what we accomplished today,” Warner said on Election Night.
All election numbers remain unofficial until certified through the canvassing process.
Along with checking any additional absentee ballots that may arrive, the county commission, sitting as the canvassing board, will determine the fate of any provisional ballots — meaning the ballot was cast but not initially counted until verified through canvassing. Blaney said there are 325 provisional ballots that need to be checked.
In Monongalia County, the late-arriving absentee ballots and provisional count could sway the outcome of the race for the Eastern District seat on the Monongalia County Commission. Incumbent Ed Hawkins currently sits 162 votes behind challenger Jeff Arnett.
Asked if Hawkins would be participating in canvassing given the close nature of his race, Blaney said he would.
“That is a duty of the commission and he is a current county commissioner,” Blaney said. “Every election there is a commissioner who is on the ballot and also serving as a member of the canvassing board. It has not been an issue in past elections and I don’t foresee it being an issue during this election.”
The canvassing process could also impact which five representatives serve Monongalia County in the House of Delegates 51st District. Currently in the fifth spot with 17,580 votes, John Williams leads former delegate Cindy Frich (sixth) by 25 votes and incumbent Rodney Pyles (seventh) by 58 votes.
Along with checking absentee and provisional ballots, the canvassing process includes the random selection of two precincts for full hand counts by teams of poll workers to ensure the tallies match the numbers recorded on Election Day.
