BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls for Election Day, but with everything that has happened this year in regards to the ongoing pandemic, it will look a little different.
Raleigh County Clerk Danny Moore offers recommendations on how to stay safe.
“Try to maintain a good distance from the other person,” he said. “It’s not required, but we would like for you to wear a face mask. All of our people will have sanitizer. They will have a face shield for the safety of themselves and of course the public.”
One big unknown this year: turnout. For early voting, Moore says numbers were way down.
“Usually we have over 3,000 people to early vote, but we only had a little over 1,000 this time so we really don’t know what to expect, but as far as you the public, we want you to think safety, think about the other person, think about yourself. Take your time and vote. That’s all we ask,” Moore said.
The county clerk’s office in Raleigh County sent out a record 11,000 absentee ballots this year and received 9,000 in return, so although it may seem like it will take longer than usual to get results, Moore has set a high goal for his team.
“We cannot count any votes until the polls close, but we are processing, not counting, processing all the absentee ballots, so what we’re hoping is that we can have them counted. I’ve got extra people, good people that work really hard came in and we’re going to try to get it all finished by tomorrow night,” Moore said.
Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
