Bradley in DC
02-02-2008, 02:59 AM
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/505266.html?nav=515
Less Than 1 Percent To Decide
W.Va. voters inactive during Super Tuesday
By JOSELYN KING
POSTED: February 2, 2008
Photo by Scott McCloskey
Chris and Jeannette Wakim of Wheeling look over the agenda for the West Virginia GOP Convention, set for Tuesday in Charleston. The couple will serve as Ohio County delegates to the convention.
Fact Box
? While West Virginia Republicans are participating in Tuesday’s primary, the voting will happen only among party delegates in Charleston. There will be no polls open locally Tuesday for either Republicans or Democrats.
WHEELING — Fewer than 1 percent of West Virginia’s Republicans cast votes to nominate delegates to Tuesday’s state GOP convention, according to figures released this week.
The numbers from the state GOP show that 0.6 percent of the 348,231 registered Republicans statewide — about 2,100 total — cast a vote in the delegate election. A total of 1,200 delegates will take part in the primary process, meaning there is roughly one delegate for each 1.7 voters.
The low voter turnout is being attributed, in large part, to the fact that voting in all but a few counties was done through the Internet. Brent Bush, who received the most votes among those seeking to be an Ohio County delegate, said the online voting process may have interfered with some people’s voting.
“Registering online was confusing, and it did disenfranchise some people,” Bush said. “Ohio County corrected that by having a county caucus, so it worked well here. Ohio County went smoothly in as much as the people knew how to do it. But as for voting online, my father would never have known how to do it.”
Wheeling resident Chris Wakim believes the process worked well, however. Wakim, who finished second in the delegate voting, believes the online voting process was a good one because those involved were interested enough to know the issues.
“The (delegates) available for selection online really wanted to be there and to be considered by the people in their county,” Wakim said. “The county delegates, and those voting for them, were lobbied by the candidates in some cases and discussed the issues.”
Officials with the WVGOP Convention Inc. could not provide a county-by-county breakdown of the number of Republicans who either registered to vote or even a breakdown of the number who voted in each county, but election totals show that not many did.
In Brooke County, the delegate receiving the most votes received two votes. In Tyler County, the top delegate had three votes; in Marshall, six; in Hancock, nine; and in Wetzel, 12.
Because there a larger number of candidates sought delegate slots in Ohio County, a paper ballot election — or “county convention” — took place in addition to the online vote. Brent Bush, the top vote-getter, received 54 votes, including 28 online and 26 at the county convention.
Many counties had fewer delegate candidates than there were delegate slots to fill, and county chairmen had the opportunity to make appointments to the seats. As such, some counties are sending a full slate of delegates.
There were to be 1,446 delegates at the convention, but Robert Fish, chief executive officer of the WVGOP Convention Inc., said he now expects about 1,200 — and he is delighted with that number.
“Everyone said we’d never be able to get 1,000 Republicans together in West Virginia in February. We’d have been delighted with 600 or 800 delegates,” he said. “Having 1,200 — now that’s a fantastic turnout.”
In fact, Tuesday’s convention in Charleston is to be the largest gathering of Republicans ever seen in the state, Fish said.
The 1,200 delegates will gather at the Charleston Civic Center Tuesday morning, Fish said. These men and women will select which Republican presidential candidate will receive the state’s votes at the National Republican Convention this fall.
The state convention is taking place the morning of “Super Tuesday” to give West Virginia an early voice in choosing the party’s nominee and to bring attention to the state. It’s expected that West Virginia’s nominee will be selected by mid-afternoon, well before polls close in other states.
And just which presidential candidate will Mountain State delegates select?
Early indicators provide no hint.
Many delegates registering a preference have selected Mitt Romney, followed closely by Mike Huckabee. But more than half of the delegates listed themselves as “uncommitted” to any candidate.
In addition to this, many of the delegates had supported Fred Thompson, Rudolph Giuliani or Duncan Hunter — candidates who already have withdrawn from the race.
These supporters will be permitted to give their vote to another candidate.
This leaves about 62 percent of the delegates uncommitted, according to Fish.
“With 62 percent uncommitted, the delegates will be waiting to hear what the candidates are going to say to us,” he said. “I could really see the possibility that one candidate comes in, gives a barnburner speech, and picks up the nomination on the first ballot.”
Candidates or their representatives will be allotted time to speak to the delegates prior to their vote.
Less Than 1 Percent To Decide
W.Va. voters inactive during Super Tuesday
By JOSELYN KING
POSTED: February 2, 2008
Photo by Scott McCloskey
Chris and Jeannette Wakim of Wheeling look over the agenda for the West Virginia GOP Convention, set for Tuesday in Charleston. The couple will serve as Ohio County delegates to the convention.
Fact Box
? While West Virginia Republicans are participating in Tuesday’s primary, the voting will happen only among party delegates in Charleston. There will be no polls open locally Tuesday for either Republicans or Democrats.
WHEELING — Fewer than 1 percent of West Virginia’s Republicans cast votes to nominate delegates to Tuesday’s state GOP convention, according to figures released this week.
The numbers from the state GOP show that 0.6 percent of the 348,231 registered Republicans statewide — about 2,100 total — cast a vote in the delegate election. A total of 1,200 delegates will take part in the primary process, meaning there is roughly one delegate for each 1.7 voters.
The low voter turnout is being attributed, in large part, to the fact that voting in all but a few counties was done through the Internet. Brent Bush, who received the most votes among those seeking to be an Ohio County delegate, said the online voting process may have interfered with some people’s voting.
“Registering online was confusing, and it did disenfranchise some people,” Bush said. “Ohio County corrected that by having a county caucus, so it worked well here. Ohio County went smoothly in as much as the people knew how to do it. But as for voting online, my father would never have known how to do it.”
Wheeling resident Chris Wakim believes the process worked well, however. Wakim, who finished second in the delegate voting, believes the online voting process was a good one because those involved were interested enough to know the issues.
“The (delegates) available for selection online really wanted to be there and to be considered by the people in their county,” Wakim said. “The county delegates, and those voting for them, were lobbied by the candidates in some cases and discussed the issues.”
Officials with the WVGOP Convention Inc. could not provide a county-by-county breakdown of the number of Republicans who either registered to vote or even a breakdown of the number who voted in each county, but election totals show that not many did.
In Brooke County, the delegate receiving the most votes received two votes. In Tyler County, the top delegate had three votes; in Marshall, six; in Hancock, nine; and in Wetzel, 12.
Because there a larger number of candidates sought delegate slots in Ohio County, a paper ballot election — or “county convention” — took place in addition to the online vote. Brent Bush, the top vote-getter, received 54 votes, including 28 online and 26 at the county convention.
Many counties had fewer delegate candidates than there were delegate slots to fill, and county chairmen had the opportunity to make appointments to the seats. As such, some counties are sending a full slate of delegates.
There were to be 1,446 delegates at the convention, but Robert Fish, chief executive officer of the WVGOP Convention Inc., said he now expects about 1,200 — and he is delighted with that number.
“Everyone said we’d never be able to get 1,000 Republicans together in West Virginia in February. We’d have been delighted with 600 or 800 delegates,” he said. “Having 1,200 — now that’s a fantastic turnout.”
In fact, Tuesday’s convention in Charleston is to be the largest gathering of Republicans ever seen in the state, Fish said.
The 1,200 delegates will gather at the Charleston Civic Center Tuesday morning, Fish said. These men and women will select which Republican presidential candidate will receive the state’s votes at the National Republican Convention this fall.
The state convention is taking place the morning of “Super Tuesday” to give West Virginia an early voice in choosing the party’s nominee and to bring attention to the state. It’s expected that West Virginia’s nominee will be selected by mid-afternoon, well before polls close in other states.
And just which presidential candidate will Mountain State delegates select?
Early indicators provide no hint.
Many delegates registering a preference have selected Mitt Romney, followed closely by Mike Huckabee. But more than half of the delegates listed themselves as “uncommitted” to any candidate.
In addition to this, many of the delegates had supported Fred Thompson, Rudolph Giuliani or Duncan Hunter — candidates who already have withdrawn from the race.
These supporters will be permitted to give their vote to another candidate.
This leaves about 62 percent of the delegates uncommitted, according to Fish.
“With 62 percent uncommitted, the delegates will be waiting to hear what the candidates are going to say to us,” he said. “I could really see the possibility that one candidate comes in, gives a barnburner speech, and picks up the nomination on the first ballot.”
Candidates or their representatives will be allotted time to speak to the delegates prior to their vote.