| Voters who cast their ballots early for the primary election will likely be using paper ballots in most West Virginia counties, including Calhoun
County clerks across the state, at least in the 34 counties that are going to touch-screen electronic voting, are anxiously waiting on the software that runs the I-Votronic machines.
Secretary of State Betty Ireland, who has promoted computerized voting, has advised county clerks they must be ready for the election, mostly blaming the software company for not getting the program in place.
Calhoun Clerk Richard Kirby thought he was ahead of the problem yesterday with an official ballot to be inserted in the computers, but there was still a program problem.
County Commissioners were present to witness the test
Kirby immediately returned the program to Casto and Harris in Spencer who is in charge of delivering the software.
All 55 counties met the January 1 deadline, but the software for the program is taking longer to arrive than anyone expected.
With early voting beginning next week, county clerks will be scrambling to come up with a solution.
Kirby said Calhoun is in good shape with a supply of paper ballots.
In Raleigh County, Clerk Betty Riffe is waiting on the software. "That's the only hold-up. We are ready to go." But until it does, early voters will be using paper ballots.
Sharon Link, the County Clerk in Hampshire County, says
she is worried the software may not arrive in time for the primary. "We're really running close here." Early voting begins on April 19th. The primary is May 9th.
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