Fairlea, WV (WOAY) – West Virginia’s top elections official brought ballots and a voting machine to the State Fair of West Virginia on Thursday, using West Virginia Day to put civics in front of fairgoers where they already were.
Secretary of State Kris Warner worked his office’s booth in the West Virginia Building, where he said the day centered on the fair’s youngest visitors.
“West Virginia Day at the fair! It’s all about kids and kids being here. We have our ballots that kids get to vote in, and they get to mark each one with their favorite ice cream and favorite fair food,” Warner said. “So we’re really having a good time with the young kids that are getting to vote, getting to put their ballot in the box and teaching them that they all get one vote.”
The booth had plenty for adults as well, from registering a business to a hands-on look at how a ballot is cast.
“You can stop by and talk to someone about registering a business through the secretary of state’s office, which is the other half of what we do in addition to safe, secure, fair and honest elections,” Warner said.
“We have a voting machine set up, we call it a marking device. So people who have never voted here in West Virginia before can do that, experience exactly what’s going to happen, that they’re going to get a paper ballot they get to look at before they drop it in the ballot box.”
Warner said the fair also puts the state’s character on display.
“You know, on our state flag, Montani Semper Liberi. Mountaineers are always free … This is America. This is freedom. You got to go do whatever you want to do, whether it’s the livestock, whether it’s the carnival rides, you know, tasting West Virginia food … And you get to see that all in one place at one time. And you can come join us until Saturday evening when the fair closes,” Warner said.
