Election Day nears

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff

The countdown to Election Day 2007 is under way at the Wythe County General Registrar’s Office. The deadline for applying for absentee ballots is Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 4:30 p.m. and the last day to vote by absentee ballot in person is Saturday, Nov. 3, with the office open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to Registrar Elizabeth C. Cook, there have been 192 applications for voting by absentee ballot. These ballots must be received by next Tuesday, Nov. 6, which is Election Day.
Cook reported there are 17,451 registered voters in Wythe County. The number, she noted, includes 300 new potential voters this year.
“Most of the new voters are people who’ve moved into the county,” Cook stated. “We do have some high school seniors who registered through their government classes this year. We provide applications for the government classes and the teachers are really good about getting the students registered.”
The registrar said she expects a good voter turnout for next Tuesday’s election which includes many candidates for local constitutional officers, board of supervisors and school board. Also delegates and a senator are on the seven different ballots for the county.
“A local election usually brings out more voters,” Cook commented. “Voters feel like their votes count more right here at home.”
Still, the number of voters actually casting their ballots is typically less than 50 percent of those registered.
Cook pointed to the November 2005 election as being similar to this year’s election as far as the slate of offices is concerned. There were 8,402 ballots cast – 49 percent of registered voters – in that election for the board of supervisors and school board, according to the registrar’s figures.
The polls open Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. There are 11 voting precincts in the county.
Voters in the Royal Oak Precinct will have a new polling place this year. They will cast their ballots at the Virginia Department of Transportation shop building at 1960 West Lee Highway.
The Rural Retreat Fire Department will serve voters in the Rural Retreat Precinct. It is located at 210 East Railroad Avenue in Rural Retreat.
Voters in the West Wytheville District will cast ballots in the George Wythe High School gym, 1 Maroon Way in Wytheville.
The East Wytheville District will be served by the old Wytheville Community Center, 250 S. Fourth St. in Wytheville, as a polling place.
Fort Chiswell Precinct voters will cast ballots at Fort Chiswell High School, 764 Fort Chiswell Road.
Max Meadows Precinct voters will use the Max Meadows Fire Department, 823 Max Meadows Road, as a polling place.
Voters in District 5 (Jackson Memorial) will be served by Jackson Memorial Elementary School, 7724 Fort Chiswell Road.
Huddle Precinct voters will use Sheffey Elementary School, 621 Sheffey School Road, for casting ballots.
Voters in the Zion Precinct will vote at the Speedwell Fire Department, 6631 Grayson Turnpike Road.
The Evergreen Activity Center, 535 Winding Road, will be polling place for voters in the Evergreen Precinct.
For more information, contact the Wythe County Registrar’s Office at 223-6038.
Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or .