Published: October 28, 2008 09:50 pm      

Thousands in the two Virginias take advantage of early, absentee voting

PRINCETON — Votes keep arriving at the region’s county clerks offices as early voters and absentee voters make their choices for president, governors and county officials.

In Mercer County, 2,760 early votes had been cast as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Marie Hill of the Voter Registration Office. One hundred and seventy-seven voters came to the Mercer County Courthouse by that same time, and another 363 showed up Monday.

A similar number of county residents took advantage of early voting Saturday, Oct. 25, Hill said.

Polls in West Virginia will be open for early voting again Saturday, Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“We recommend everyone who wants to vote to come out and avoid the lines on Election Day, especially in the bigger precincts,” Hill said. “We have had about 450 absentee ballots that have come back already, and more will be coming in each day.”

Early voting also continues in McDowell County and Monroe County. The McDowell County Clerk’s Office has served 385 early voters as of Tuesday, said Election Officer Frank Kapish. Ninety-six absentee ballots have been mailed to voters.

At the Monroe County Courthouse, residents had cast 592 early votes as of Monday, said County Clerk Donald J. Evans. And 235 absentee ballots had been mailed.

Early voting is not available in Virginia, but local counties were seeing absentee ballots arriving for the November election.

In Tazewell County, 1,185 absentee ballots have either mailed out and voted in person, said Registrar Debbie Barrett.

Neighboring Buchanan County was receiving absentee ballots, too.

“We’ve had 586,” said Registrar Vicki Clevinger. “One year we had over 800, and this last election we had 629, so we’re running about the same.”