Jan. 5—Candidates for county and statewide political office will launch the long grind to the 2024 Primary Election on Monday, Jan. 8.

Statewide, candidate filing for the election will run through Jan. 27.

“We do have a lot of races on the ballot (county level), the county commission, sheriff, prosecuting attorney, assessor, magistrates, the board of education and surveyor,” said Fayette County Clerk Michelle Holly. “They will all file locally.”

With the exception of magistrates, all others in the judicial system, such as circuit judges and family court judges, as well as House of Delegate and Senate candidates, will file with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office.

The circuit court and family court judge races and the board of education race will be decided in May.

“Because of who is coming off and who is on, anyone can run in the whole county,” Holly said pertaining to the non-partisan board of education race. “It doesn’t matter which district you’re from.”

The five-member board of education must include at least one and not more than two members from each of three magisterial districts (a 2-2-1 alignment). Seats that are up for reelection in 2024 are held by Cindy Whitlock (Plateau) and Steve Slockett. Slockett was most recently elected as a Valley District representative, but magisterial realignment moved him to the Plateau, Holly said.

If Whitlock and Slockett both opt to seek reelection, they will be running against each other — as well as against any other district candidates who file — for a single Plateau District seat, the clerk explained. A current Plateau representative, Gary Ray, doesn’t have to run for reelection on the 2024 ballot.

Remaining BOE seats held by Pat Gray (New Haven) and Joby Groom (Valley) are not up for reelection in 2024.

The current Plateau District seat-holder on the three-member Fayette County Commission, Tom Louisos, will be up for reelection this year.

Another current commissioner, Allison Rae Taylor, is not up for reelection and can continue serving as a commissioner until her seat is up in 2026, even though she was moved from New Haven to Plateau under district realignment. As it stands now, Taylor cannot run in 2026, unless her residence changes from Plateau District, Holly said.

“Everybody is getting a little more used to those magisterial districts,” Holly said. Since the last election, some minor precinct changes were made “to make things easier with voters.” In one scenario, a new precinct (No. 41) was drawn up to alleviate some issues caused by the past closure of the Kanawha Falls Bridge, Holly said.

Up until April 23, voters can make changes to their current voter registration or register if they aren’t currently registered.

Early voting will be May 1-11 at three locations in Fayette County.

“We’re working really hard to make the process as smooth as possible for people,” Holly said. “I know in 2020 lines got pretty long, and there might still be lines. I think people need to be prepared for that.” Changes have been implemented to hopefully make things run smoother, she said.

“We really need poll workers to work the election,” Holly stressed. “To fully staff all our precincts, we need a little over 200 people to work.” A shortage of 25-30 people at the polls affected the 2022 election, she noted.

“It’s a long day, but it’s not difficult,” Holly said. Each poll worker receives tax-free pay of $225 per election ($50 for a day of training and $175 for Election Day). “If we have a fully-staffed polling place, it’s a lot easier for everybody.”

Holly said confirmation notices are currently being mailed to individual voters who have appeared to move. “If you get that card in the mail, it’s really important that you fill it out and send it back to us.”

Anyone with questions related to office candidacy or voter registration can call the elections office at the Fayette County Courthouse at 304-574-4235.

“I now have several elections under my belt,” said Holly. “You’re excited about it and want everything to go well and smoothly, and we’re trying to really get things prepared now.”

According to a press release from the office of West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, the 2024 running for office guide can be found at https://sos.wv.gov/FormSearch/Elections/Informational/Running%20for%20Office.pdf.

Warner said candidates interested in running for office in 2024 should review the house of delegates, state senate and Congressional district maps located at GoVoteWV.com. Candidates should contact their county clerk to confirm the district based on their legal residence.

In addition to residency requirements, candidates for partisan nominations in the May 14 election must not have been a member of another recognized political party for at least 60 days prior to filing to become a candidate. Voter registration and a 2024 election calendar can be accessed online at any time by visiting GoVoteWV.com.

—-Holly says the May 14 primary ballot in her county will also feature voting for office-holders in two municipalities — Montgomery and Mount Hope.

“Two municipalities have now chosen to have their ballots placed on (the county) ballot,” Holly said. “That means we have to make sure the municipality lines match our precinct lines.

“It (combined ballot) will be a lot easier for the voters. They will vote the same time as they do their county ballots. I think it will be a good thing for everybody.”

Memorandums of understanding were signed earlier this week to move that process forward.

According to Montgomery city administrator Angela Tackett, the filing period for Montgomery city offices will run from January 8-26 during normal business hours. Filing is available on January 27 if the candidate makes a special appointment. A notary will be available on weekday filing, Tackett said. Anyone filing on January 27 is asked to have their paperwork notarized in advance.

Filing fees are as follows:

—Mayor — $50;

—Recorder — $25; and

—Council — $15.

“It will be more convenient for the voters to have one election, and it is a cost-saving effort for the city,” Tackett said. “Elections are so expensive, and we usually have a low voter turnout. This should work well for everyone.

“We are very appreciative of both counties for allowing us to be on their ballot.”

Montgomery straddles the Fayette-Kanawha line, and the residents in the city have to vote according to their location.

—-The five-year excess levies for fire departments, law enforcement and libraries will also be put to a vote on the May 14 Fayette ballot. County officials are currently finalizing the language for the levy.

Email: skeenan@register-herald.com; follow on Facebook. Follow on Twitter @gb_scribe