Everyone Can Vote For School Board & Party Primaries
It’s time to vote for Jefferson County Board of Education candidates, along with a family court judge and a conservation district supervisor in non-partisan races. Voters also get to select Democratic and Republican candidates in primary elections to decide who will be on the general election ballot in November (the school board race is final after the May election).
To vote absentee, you must deliver your application to the County Clerk’s office by 5 pm on May 4. Absentee ballot applications and instructions are posted on the County Clerk’s page on the Jefferson County website.
Independent Voters Get A Choice – But Need to Ask
Voters registered as Democrats or Republicans will be given a party-specific ballot. Voters registered with no party affiliation (“independents”) will need to tell the poll worker which ballot they want — a choice of the non-partisan ballot only or a Democratic or Republican ballot (which also includes the school board race). This allows independents a choice in picking who gets on the November ballot. The selection of a primary ballot does not have any effect on a voter’s registration or how they can vote in the November general election. You can use the “Find Your Polling Place” button on GoVoteWV.com to check your registration status too.
Early Voting Until May 7
Early voting is available until May 7, from 9 am to 5 pm at Charles Washington Hall, 100 West Washington St, Charles Town (this is the building with Bushel & Peck on the ground floor). The early voting location is on the 2nd floor – to enter, use the side door on North George Street marked “Suite 201” across from the County Courthouse. The early voting location is open Monday through Friday and also on Saturdays (Apr 30 & May 7). The earling voting location is not open on May 9 (Monday) or May 10 (Election Day).
You must bring ID to vote. You can use the “Voter Identification Information” button on GoVoteWV.com to find a complete list of ID options.
To view sample ballots, visit the County Clerk’s page on the Jefferson County website.
Questions? Visit GoVoteWV.com
The West Virginia Secretary of State has quick links for information on voter registration, absentee voting, polling place locations, and other voting resources at GoVoteWV.com.
Board of Education (Jefferson County)
There are five seats on the Jefferson County Board of Education. Of the current members, Mark Osbourn and Donna Joy are serving terms that run until 2024, Kathy Skinner and Laurie Ogden are running for re-election this year. Gary Kable, also an incumbent, decideded not to run for another term this year.
[READ MORE: School Board: How It Works, Why It Matters]
The May election is the final voting for the Board of Education this year. The school board election is also non-partisan (no party affiliation will appear on the ballot). The three candidates with the most votes will be seated on the Board on July 1 to serve for the next four years.
[READ MORE: Meet the Candidates for Jefferson County Board of Education]
State regulations require that school board candidates reside in Jefferson county. No more than two members can be from the same Magisterial District (Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Kabletown, Middleway, Shepherdstown), but candidates run county-wide and all voters can vote for any candidate (with three open seats, every voter can select up to three school board candidates this year).
The school board election is held in the spring, along with the primary elections for County Commission, WV Delegate, and other offices. The May 10 vote will be the final decision for the school board election.
Primaries For Congress, State & County Offices
There are two incumbents running in Republican primary for the newly drawn 2nd Congressional District which stretches across the northern half of the state. Jefferson County will elect one state Senator and four state Delegates in November. For the May election, only the Senate and two of the Delegate races are contested in the Republican primary (none are contested in the Democratic primary). There are two seats up for election on the County Commission, both contested in the Republican primary (neither are contested in the Democratic primary).
[READ MORE: Contested Primary Races]
This page was updated on May 1 2022 with additional information on the 2022 elections.
