BUCKHANNON – Early voting for the May 10, 2022 Primary Election starts in eight days.

In preparation for the election, the Upshur County Commission and Upshur County Clerk’s Office on Tuesday tested the voting machines. Early voting gets underway Wednesday, April 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the courthouse, 40 W. Main St.

Upshur County Clerk Carol Smith said her office always conducts a public test ahead of elections to ensure the machines are tabulating properly.

“I don’t think it’s required, but we typically have them test the ExpressVote voting machines to make sure they have the proper ballot and it’s working the way it should – that’s just a part of what we like to do with our testing,” Smith said. “Here shortly, we’ll take the pre-selected test deck and we’ll run it through the scanners that actually do the tabulating, and then we’ll put it into the electronic computer, so they know it’s reading from the sticks on the DS 200 or USB drives to the ERN, which is a computer that compiles all of the votes on Election night, which is not connected to the internet.”

Smith said early voting should take a voter around five to eight minutes to complete.

“Not including lines, which I can never account for, from beginning to end, a voter should be in and out in a couple of minutes to be able to vote,” Smith said. “A couple of minutes to get registered, vote, turn in your ballot, so you’re probably talking around five to eight minutes to get in, vote and get out.”

Smith encouraged residents to go to the County Clerk’s website for a plethora of information, including sample ballots, an absentee ballot application, important dates and voting precinct maps.

“The new maps for voting precinct districts are out, precinct addresses are there, sample ballots, absentee ballot applications and you can get a form to register to vote or change your information, but today (Tuesday, April 19, 2022) is the last day to register to vote or change your information,” Smith said.

All voters affected by the voting precinct changes should have received a letter from the county clerk’s office as well as their new voter registration card. In addition, Precinct 9 voters should note that their polling location has changed to Buckhannon City Hall, 70 W. Main St.

“If they’re not sure of what district they’re in, you can always call the office, and we’re more than happy to help people because we had about 2,500 or so people who moved,” Smith said. “Everyone who was affected received a letter, so if you got a letter, look at your new card and that’s going to be where your voting precinct is.”

The county clerk has provided about 50 absentee ballots, which is higher than before the pandemic, but much lower than the 2020 election.

April 30 and May 7 are the two Saturdays of early voting; see below for specific dates and times.

Early Voting Schedule

(Early voting is held at the Upshur County Courthouse, 40 W. Main St. in Buckhannon)

Election Day: Tuesday, May 10, 2022; Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Absentee Voting: Applications may be obtained at upshurcounty.org or govotewv.com. The last day the office may receive/accept a request application for an absentee ballot by mail is Wednesday, May 4, 2022.