Community Bulletin
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BUCKHANNON – The former Rock Cave Elementary School building will remain a polling location for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.
Upshur County Clerk Carol Smith said the Board of Education allowed the county to use the building for this election, so people who typically go there to vote will not have to deal with a change.
“The locations are remaining the same. At this time, the Board of Education is going to allow us to continue to use [the former Rock Cave Elementary School],” Smith said. “I am combining some precincts, but they’re still going to vote in the same location. As an example, at the middle school, we have two precincts that vote in the gym, and those two precincts will still vote in the gym; they’re just going to vote together using the same election officials.”
The polls on Election Day will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
“There are a couple of ways people can check their polling location. All of that information is located on our website. If they know what their precinct number is, they can go in and find it by the precinct addresses on our website,” Smith said. “The Secretary of State’s office also offers a huge amount of information, so they can go to govotewv.com and they can look up their precinct there as well.”
Oct. 13 is the last day to register to vote and update your voter registration record, such as your name and address.
“You can also do those types of things either at our office, at govotewv.com, or on the county’s website. On my department tab, there is a voter registration form you can fill out and turn in as well,” Smith said.
Early voting starts Wednesday, Oct. 21, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Weekday hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the clerk’s office’s regular business hours. On Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 31, early voting runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The county clerk must receive absentee ballot applications from voters no later than the sixth day before the election, so that’s Oct. 28,” Smith said. “You can actually go through the Secretary of State’s office, and there is a way to do it, but the forms have to be filled out by hand. So unless you are a disabled voter of a certain type, then the paper form has to be filled out in your own handwriting. It can be mailed, it can be emailed, it can be faxed; it just must be in your handwriting.”
Sample ballots are available on the county clerk’s website. Smith also reminded voters to bring a photo ID when they vote and not to wear any election merchandise, such as hats or shirts, to an official polling location.
Voters with questions about their registration can check govotewv.com or call the county clerk’s office. “We’re more than happy to double-check people’s registration,” Smith said.
