Voting slow in Pulaski County
, Staff Writer
11-04-2009
Two hours after polls opened, only 7 percent or 1,402 of Pulaski County’s 21,141 registered voters had cast ballots in Tuesday’s general election.
Registrar Kathy Webb said the highest turnout as of 8 a.m. was in the Walker Precinct in the Massie District, where 11 percent of voters had cast ballots. Walker Precinct was followed by Snowville Precinct in the Ingles District and Draper Precinct in the Draper District, which both had a 9 percent turnout at 8 a.m.
To keep in line with prior governor’s races, turnout percentage for the day should run in the upper 40s.
Voter turnout during the last governor’s race in 2005 was 47.5 percent for the day, Webb said. Four years earlier (the 2001 governor’s race) turnout was 49 percent.
Tuesday morning’s voting figures were tallied shortly after one of the busiest times at the polls – 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Webb said the polls usually are busiest just before people go to work, at lunchtime and in the evening when they get off work.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. Voters who are in line to vote when the polls close will be allowed to cast votes.
Webb said everything was “going smoothly” at the polls this morning. “We’ve not had any problems,” she noted.
Voters will find four races on their ballot today: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and House of Delegates. In the House of Delegates race, voters registered in the Sixth House District will choose between Incumbent Republican Anne B. Crockett-Stark of Wytheville and Democratic candidate A. Carole Pratt of Dublin. Voters registered in the Seven House District will choose between Republican Incumbent David A. “Dave” Nutter and Democratic candidate Peggy H. Frank, both of Christiansburg.
The race for governor has Republican Robert F. McDonnell of Richmond facing off against Charlottesville Democrat R. Creigh Deeds. Lietutenant governor candidates are William T. “Bill” Bolling, a Republican from Richmond, and Democrat Jody M. Wagner of Virginia Beach. The final choice on the state ballot is between attorney general candidates Ken T. Cuccinelli II of Fairfax, a Republican, and Democrat Stephen C. Shannon of Vienna.
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