Manpower, Preparation Crucial To Smooth Election
Greenbrier County Clerk B.J. Livesay demonstrates
how to use the electronic touch-screen voting
machine. L. Lane photo
By Leslie Lane
Staff Reporter
A great deal of effort goes into making an election happen, and following the primary, Greenbrier County’s election staffers start prepping for November.
“We start in January for May,” County Clerk B.J. Livesay noted last week, adding, “It’s funny. You get over one, and you get ready for the other one.”
The average voter, who only sees a few faces at the polls, may be surprised to learn just how many individuals it takes to complete the process.
In addition to the county’s 184 poll workers, there are approximately 20 other people involved behind the scenes on the county level.
Livesay said a representative from the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office was scheduled to be on hand Tuesday to help make sure the process ran smoothly.
There are usually six individuals, referred to as rovers, who travel the county in teams of two on election day, checking in with poll workers to see if they have any problems or questions.
Four sheriff’s deputies are stationed at the courthouse in Lewisburg after the polls close.
Livesay explained that two are positioned outside to route the poll workers to the proper location when they turn in their voting machines and personal electronic ballot (PEB) devices so the votes from their precincts can be tallied.
Another officer is stationed in the courthouse lobby, while a fourth deputy is present in the courtroom where the tallying takes place.
“They’re here to make sure we have order,” Livesay stated.
The county clerk’s two full-time election staffers are also on site at the courthouse to answer questions and oversee the process.
Those two employees, Gail White and Cheryl Honaker, have been busy with early voting in the days leading up to the primary.
According to Livesay, approximately 1,200 people cast ballots during the early voting period which ran from April 23 through May 10.
He said the option of voting prior to election day offers convenience to the citizenry.
“Instead of waiting for the unknown on a specific day, like rain or snow, people can go ahead and vote when they’re in town,” Livesay stated.
He noted the interest generated during this year’s presidential race has increased voter turnout across the country, something evidenced by the number of early votes cast in Greenbrier County.
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County Denies Rezoning Bid
By Leslie Lane
Staff Reporter
Hoping to eliminate further problems in the future and create a more friendly zoning ordinance, the Greenbrier County Commission is seeking to have different grades of commercial use worked into the document.
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Graham To Attend Class At Johns Hopkins
Aaron Graham
A Greenbrier County eighth grader who participated in a Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth program last fall has been accepted to attend an additional CTY class this summer.
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Stream, Dam Cleanup Planned In WSS
By Tina Alvey
Editor
White Sulphur City Council dealt with a relatively light agenda Monday evening.
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Former President Makes Stop In Fairlea
L. Lane text, L.E. McKinney photos
Despite arriving over an hour-and-a-half behind schedule, former President Bill Clinton was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd at the state fairgrounds in Fairlea Thursday evening.
Approximately 500 people initially showed up for the visit, but as the hour grew later and storm clouds gathered, several of those waiting to hear what Hillary Clinton’s husband had to say decided to leave.
When the former president finally stepped up to the podium, he spoke about a number of topics, including jobs, energy independence, healthcare, the mortgage crisis, education and the war in Iraq.
“There’s a big difference between speeches and solutions, between promises and progress,” the former president noted.
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