As early voting begins Wednesday, political parties in West Virginia are trying to motivate voters in a state where turnout is disastrous.
Population decline, poverty, transportation barriers and apathy toward political parties contribute to West Virginia’s low voter population.
On a Tuesday in October, Marion County Democratic Chairman Jarryd Powell sat in the county’s Democratic headquarters, a former barbershop now decorated with historical posters and a bobblehead of President Barack Obama. Campaign signs for Democratic candidates in state and local elections filled store windows.
He is trying to motivate local Democratic and independent voters in one of the remaining states nine blue counties. On the local ballot are Senate and House races that could potentially bring more Democrats to the Republican-dominated Legislature.
“To motivate them, we say, ‘This is still your party,'” he said. “Maybe it’s not the party you heard about. We have some great candidates and we are not what the opposition makes us out to be. We will definitely see a push to utilize early voting.”
In 2020, West Virginia had the second lowest civic voting rate in the country. according to the U.S. Censuswith 55% of residents entitled to vote. Only 30% of registered voters Submit ballot papers in the primaries this May.
“In some parts of the state, voter turnout is less than 30%,” said Samuel Workman, director of the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs at West Virginia University. “It’s the mundane: Do people think the election is close enough that their vote will matter?”
Former President Donald Trump is expected to win West Virginia in November and claim the state’s four electoral votes. Neither Trump nor his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, have visited the state and unofficially marked it as red.
Across the state, Democrats and Republicans are trying to downplay the importance of voting because residents will also vote for it next governorMembers of the Legislature, a Constitutional amendment on the topic of medically assisted suicide and more.
“There’s a lot going on. Every day we have conversations with voters,” said Paula Martinelli, Vice Chairman of the Monongalia County Republicans. Her local chapter used billboards, mailers, television ads, social media and more to encourage people to vote. “The voters we are dealing with are highly motivated. They are very motivated to vote.”
Statewide Republican voter registrations grow, This represents 41.2% of the state’s total registered voters. Republican voter registrations have also increased in Monongalia County, approaching the number of registered Democrats in Blue County.
Foreign Minister Data In September, 21,499 Monongalia County voters showed they were registered Republican, compared to 23,065 Democrats. Less than 1,600 registrations separated the two parties; In 2016The Democrats were ahead with 9,000 registrations. Independent voter registration has also increased in the region.
Martinelli noted that she was joyful for Republicans Jason Morganwho is running County sheriff. There are Republicans looking to gain or retain House seats, she said, and there is a Senate race in part of the county.
“We are getting closer to turning things around every day. We’re moving the needle closer,” she said.
The lack of competitive races is a factor in low voter turnout
Workman said the lack of competitive elections, particularly from Democrats looking to win in a red state, contributed to low voter turnout. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, a Democrat running for governor, is clear behind in fundraising compared to his opponent, Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.
The [Democratic National Convention] didn’t spend a lot of money in the state,” he said. “Without competitive state races for Democrats, they will stay home.”
There are other obstacles, Workman said, such as finding a ride to polling places in the state’s most rural areas with restricted or no public transportation. Access to child care ongoing problem in West Virginia may also impact voter turnout.
The state’s rapid population decline – the fastest in the country – also contributed to low voter turnout, Workman said. Young people are leaving the state in search of job opportunities; Voters said it was the top issue towards the state. “If you don’t see yourself here for the long term, it’s very difficult to invest in elections,” he said.
The state’s Republican supermajority has considered and passed legislation to improve the state’s economy; Social issues are also consistently in focus. The legislature has issued bans abortion And gender-equitable care while fighting to get a bill banning child marriage across the finish line.
“When the state focuses disproportionately on these social issues, that means it pays less attention to economic development,” Workman said. “[Young voters] Prioritize: ‘Can I see myself having a great career here?'”
In Marion County, Powell said voters have begun to focus more on the state legislature than on the top slate of voters.
“The focus has shifted to what’s going on on the ground and what the local representatives down in Charleston are actually doing,” he said. “I think they look at their local candidates and say, ‘Here’s an opportunity where we want to try to make some progress in these districts, even though maybe not the entire state flips.'”
As the election approaches, former House Speaker Lisa Zuckoff, a Moundsville Democrat, has been working to register and educate voters in the Northern Panhandle.
“Just because you lose an election doesn’t mean what you care about is lost,” Zuckoff said lost her re-election Offer in 2020 as the Republican stronghold grew. Children’s problems, like the problems of the state Care system And financially struggling public schoolsHe continued to drive her, she said.
Zuckoff, working with the Ohio County Democratic Women’s Group, took a data-driven approach to find Democrats and independents who don’t vote regularly.
“The number of independent voters has increased over the last decade. This shows me that people are not happy with either party. It’s also important to show them that we care about their vote,” she said. “We called people on the phone or texted them and reminded them how important it is to vote.”
She collected donations and used some of her own money to pay for informational postcards for voters.
“They have no idea who they’re going to vote for when they go to the polls, but the idea is that we’re going to help everyone,” she said.
A complete list of Early voting locations And Sample ballot papers for each county are available on the West Virginia Secretary of State website.
The general election will take place on Tuesday, November 5th.
