Fayette County, WV (WOAY) – County commissions across West Virginia began canvassing Monday, starting the process of certifying the results of the midterm election.
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner said the election went off without major problems.
“This was a very smooth election. This was the first general election where photo IDs were required of all voters. And, you know, we didn’t have any complaints about photo I.D.,” Warner said.
According to Warner, early voting rose 24 percent compared to 2022, though overall turnout dropped. Unofficial results show 463,912 West Virginians cast ballots, roughly 38 percent of registered voters. Turnout in the previous four midterms ranged from 40 to 48 percent.
“There were actually 30,841 fewer voters that participated in this midterm election as compared to the 2022 midterm election,” Warner said.
During the canvass, county commissioners serve as boards of canvassers, charged with determining the true results of the election. They add absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day and decide which provisional ballots will be counted, including ballots from voters who did not have a photo ID at the polls.
“If they were then able to go show a photo I.D. to the county clerk prior to the canvass … then the county commissioners would determine that they would count that ballot,” Warner said.
The canvass also includes an audit before results are declared. Asked whether the process can change the outcome of a race, Warner said it can happen.
“I would say it’s very rarely, but it’s not unheard of,” he said.
Warner’s office has field representatives standing by to assist if a close race heads to a recount. He said some county races could be certified as early as Thursday.
“So first, statewide, you have to wait until the last county is certified before you can certify, let’s say, the race for the U.S. Senate. So that would be late November, early December,” Warner said.
Voters can follow certification results on the Secretary of State’s website.
Warner credited the state’s 8,210 poll workers and 55 county clerks for their work on Election Day. He said about 12 percent of those clerks were running their first general election.
