McDowell County courthouse opens for early primary voting in Welch
Early ballots were available at the McDowell County Courthouse in Welch, where Saturday hours gave voters one more chance before the May 12 primary. PHOTO ID is required.
McDowell County voters can still walk into the courthouse in Welch and cast an early ballot for the May 12 primary, with the county’s early-voting site set up in the McDowell County Clerk’s Office in the Main Courthouse at 90 Wyoming St., Suite 109.
The courthouse opened Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and another Saturday voting day is scheduled for May 9, the final day to vote early before Election Day. Early voting in McDowell also runs on weekdays through May 9, giving residents in Welch, Kimball, Jolo and across the county a chance to vote without waiting for Tuesday, May 12.
McDowell County Clerk Donald L. Hicks’ public notice lists the clerk’s office as the county’s early-voting location and says voters with questions about registration or precincts can call (304) 436-8543. State election officials also released a sample-ballot lookup tool on April 20, and sample ballots were scheduled to be published in county newspapers between April 16 and April 22, giving voters another way to check their ballot before they arrive at the courthouse.
West Virginia’s in-person early voting period began April 29, and all 55 counties are offering at least one early voting site, most of them at county courthouses. State officials said 4,858 voters cast ballots in person on the first day of early voting statewide, a sign that the May 12 primary is already drawing participation across the state.
Voters must show an approved photo ID at early voting or on Election Day, with some exceptions. If a voter cannot get an acceptable ID, the voter can cast a provisional ballot, and registered voters may obtain a free voter ID card.
The turnout stakes in McDowell are familiar. In the 2024 primary, the county had 11,722 registered voters and 2,653 cast ballots, a turnout rate of 22.63 percent. With a 2025 estimated population of 16,878 and Welch serving as the county seat and largest city, the courthouse remains the most important voting stop in the county.
That low-turnout history gives even a small number of early ballots real weight in races that help shape schools, roads and other local services. In McDowell, a courthouse trip in Welch can still carry outsized influence.
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