PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – Thousands of Mercer County residents have been flocking to the polls to take advantage of early voting.
Early voting started this week and already thousands of West Virginia residents have cast their vote for the 2020 election. In Mercer County, people are excited to finally get the chance to vote and according to Mercer County Clerk Verlin Moye, the polling locations have been packed.
“Everybody was just excited. They’ve been waiting on the polls to open. We had lines at all four locations before we even opened the polls,” Moye said.
More than 3,000 residents have cast their vote in the 2020 presidential election. According to Verlin, they’re on track for another record breaking turnout, but many people are still worried about COVID-19.
“A lot of people have COVID-19 concerns, and rightfully so. We’re practicing social distancing at our polls as best we can and we’re asking everyone to go by the governor’s mandate and wear a mask.”
When you go to vote, there are two specific things you’ll need to remember. You need to have some form of identification, such as a driver’s license or document that proves you are a county resident, and you also need to leave your political paraphernalia at home.
“We can not allow any type of candidate paraphernalia. Hats, shirts, anything like that, because it’s strictly prohibited by law. We have to have a politically neutral polling place.”
There are four early voting polling places in Mercer County. Covenant Baptist Church on Athens Road, the Herb Sims Wellness Center on Stadium Drive in Bluefield, Four Seasons Answering Service in Bluewell and the Mercer County Courthouse in Princeton.
Early voting will continue throughout the state until next Saturday, October 31.
