Greenbrier County residents preparing to vote in the upcoming 2022 elections should re-examine their polling location.
The upcoming election is split into the May 10 primary and the November 8 general election. The districts will look different due to the 2020 Census.
The West Virginia Legislature redistricted the entire state to match the new population numbers, a loss that cost West Virginia a member of the House of Representative federally. Governor Jim Justice signed House Bill 3034 on Oct. 21, 2021, approving the new state maps.
Locally, the precinct maps were redrawn to match the newly divided Greenbrier County for House of Delegates representation. The new districts, 46 and 47, are cut along Rt. 219, through the center of Lewisburg.
At the November 2021 meeting of the Greenbrier County Commission, commission president Lowell Rose explained why the districts changed so dramatically.
“As everybody knows the House and Senate [maps] have been [redrawn after the 2020 Census], and they drew a line down through Greenbrier County on Rt. 219,” said Rose. “[This] creates a multitude of problems for Ms. Loudermilk’s selection department because they cut through precincts and they can’t be divided. They have to be on one side or the other.”
County Clerk Robin Loudermilk further explained the changes in the same meeting.
“This change will have effects in 12 precincts, it’s looking like it’s going to affect 3,353 people of the voting age,” Loudermilk said. “It is going straight up Rt. 219 – parts of precincts are going to be split off into a different area.”
The new polling locations and district divisions for local elections were approved by the commission after a public hearing with no comment on Dec. 28, 2021.
The Greenbrier County voting precincts. |
The precincts include:
– Magisterial District One, Eastern District, shall include the following precinct numbers – 1, 8, 14, 24, 34, 72, 73, 74, and 75.
– Magisterial District Two, Central District, shall include the following precinct numbers – 21, 22, 23, 31, 41, 42, 43, 45, and 46.
– Magisterial District Three, Western District, shall include the following precinct numbers – 7, 29, 47, 51, 52, 56, 63, 64, 65, and 79.
There will also be new polling places in some districts:
– Precinct 22 will be established at Ronceverte Baptist Church.
– Precinct 50, previously voting at Little Sewell Baptist Church, shall be moved to Precinct 65 at Rainelle City Hall.
– For Precinct 78, previously voting at Clintonville community building, the polling location will be moved to Precinct 79 at the Williamsburg Community Building.
To look at the legislative maps in more detail, see wvlegislature.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html.
Residents can register to vote by going to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website and following the links, using https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register/Landing, or by dialing the Greenbrier County Courthouse, extension 602, and requesting to register.
Senate District 10 now includes more counties than it previously did. |
The map for House of Delegates District 47, highlighted in red and surrounded by other districts. |
The map for House of Delegates District 46, highlighted in red and surrounded by other districts. |
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