Locals and travelers share thoughts on election process

BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, and many residents have had a lot to say about it. 

West Virginia and neighboring states Ohio and Kentucky voted overwhelmingly in favor of Donald Trump, but their support was not enough to get the incumbent president ahead in the polls. Some locals have been very outspoken about the process, including one voter from Ohio who thinks COVID-19 had a lot to do with Trump’s loss. 

“Well I was disappointed the president wasn’t reelected, but he had a tough uphill battle with the number of COVID deaths. I don’t think anybody could’ve done much better, but the opposition publicized it forever. It certainly struck a note with the people,” he said.

Other people were surprised at the sheer number of mail-in ballots that Joe Biden received. Mail-in ballots are not counted in some states until after in-person ballots, which caused some swing states to go back and forth as to who was ahead. Some are concerned about that process and are hoping for recounts or even legal action. 

“It’s kind of crazy that Trump was leading in most of the swing states, and then all of a sudden these ballots were found that put Biden ahead. Hopefully, he goes through with the legal battles and tries to at least get some clarity as to who actually won,” another voter said.

It took days after the election for a winner to finally be declared, and yet still many people are not happy and want more information before a winner is decided. However, others are just glad the process is finally over. 

“I’m glad the election’s over. I’m glad it seems to be finalized, I’m sure there’ll be a recount but that’s fine. I think now we have our path forward and I just hope everyone can support the decision,” a local voter said.

Donald Trump won the vote in West Virginia with a nearly 20% margin. The final tally was 232,502 votes for Biden, versus 539,610 for Trump. As of now, Biden is expected to be inaugurated in January of 2021.

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