The signs everywhere—literally—point to the upcoming primary elections, scheduled for May 13 across West Virginia. Here are a few things worth knowing.

Vote for Both Commission Races

That’s right. No matter where you live in Jefferson County, you get to vote for candidates representing both commission districts in play. That’s because each of the five commission districts gets a commissioner to represent their area—but voters countywide choose the commissioners.

It’s one of those peculiar and often confusing constructs of West Virginia county government. See the March 2008 edition of The Observer for candidate profiles (www.wvobserver.com).

Early Voting

If you’ve moved here recently from another state that restricts pre-election-day voting to absentee ballots, listen up. Here you don’t have to make up an excuse to get an absentee ballot. If you want to vote early just because you feel like it, you can. Once you do, though, you can’t change your mind.

Early voting will be available at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 100 East Washington Street from Wednesday, April 23 until Friday, May 9 during office hours: 9am to 5pm Monday through Thursday and 9am to 7pm Friday.

Democrats Welcome Independents

For the first time ever, voters registered as Independents will be allowed to vote in West Virginia Democratic Party primary races. Reflecting trends nationally, Independents are the fastest-growing block of registered voters in the county. Independents now make up about 27 percent of Jefferson County voters, compared to about 31 percent for Republicans and 41 percent for Democrats. Statewide, there were more than 133,000 Independents in the 2006 election, or about 12 percent of the state’s voters.

Jefferson County Races Wide Open

In the 2008 Jefferson County election there are more open seats for countywide office than for any election in recent memory. Some officeholders have chosen not to seek reelection; others have set their sights on another office’s open seat, creating a kind of musical chairs among the county’s elected offices.

Ginger Bordier announced she would not run for reelection after 30 years as assessor. Five candidates will be on the ballot in the May 13 primary race to replace her. One of the candidates will be Jefferson County Sheriff Ed Boober, who is term-limited in his current post. He will compete against three other Democrats—Angie Banks, Jerri Herbert, and John Kusner—for the nomination to face Republican Gary Dungan in November’s general election.

Boober’s retirement brought out five candidates to replace him as sheriff: Republicans Brian Parrish and Jay Watson, and Democrats Louis G. Brunswick, Bob Shirley, and Gerald Wayne Koogle, Sr.

Having served as prosecuting attorney since 1985, Mike Thompson has decided to call it quits when his term is up. Ruth A. McQuade and Ralph Lorenzetti are facing off in the Democratic primary to fill the post. No Republican filed for the seat.

Other open seats include the state delegate’s race in the 58th district and two county commission positions. And with the retirement of longtime Circuit Court Judge Thomas Steptoe, a judgeship is up for grabs.

Learn about the candidates. Don’t find yourself in the booth without being in the know.