Want to see change? Engage with local politics
You may or may not have noticed, but there’s a Morgantown City Council election on Tuesday. Council elections tend to have dismally low turnout numbers, but we hope that changes this year. To encourage you to vote (and to make it easier) we’ve compiled everything you need to know right here.
Candidates for city council must live in the ward they wish to represent, but they are elected at-large. This means that voters can vote for candidates for all wards, not just the one they reside in. For example, if you live in Fifth Ward, you’ll still be allowed to (in fact, encouraged to) vote for a candidate in all the other wards. There are also multiple write-in candidates this year. A write-in is someone who is running for the position but whose name won’t appear on the ballot. If you support a write-in candidate, you will literally have to write their names in (make sure you know how to spell it).
Here’s who is running for each ward:
First Ward
- Patrick Hathaway
- Seth Collins (write-in candidate)
Second Ward
- Bill Kawecki (unopposed)
Third Ward
- Paul Liller (write-in candidate)
- Ixya Vega (write-in candidate)
Fourth Ward
- Jenny Selin (unopposed)
Fifth Ward
- Marly Ynigues
- Tony Setley
- Danielle Trumble
Sixth Ward
- Dave Harshbarger
- Jay Redmond (write-in candidate)
Seventh Ward
- Brian Butcher
- Ben Mayle
Voters will also be asked to vote on a referendum to change council terms from two years to four years and to stagger those terms among wards. As we previously reported, the winners in Wards 2, 4 and 6 will be elected to four-year terms, while Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 will be elected to two-year terms. After that, all terms will be four years, and there will still be an election every two years.
Now, where do you vote? Good question. To find your polling place for Tuesday, you can use this interactive map (https://morgantownwv.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ed12f4276a854f4ea7f1ad421ca4dd80), where you can type in your address and it will tell you what your voting precinct is and where that precinct’s polling location is. If you can’t use the link, try calling Christine Wade for help at 304-284-7434, as she’s listed as the poll finding contact, or visit the City of Morgantown’s webpage (http://morgantownwv.gov/157/Election-Information) and access the map from there. As usual, polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
With all this information at your fingertips, we hope you’ll choose to vote in the city council election this year. If local issues are important to you, then this is the election you need to cast a ballot in. If you like what’s happening in the city or absolutely hate the direction things have taken, this is the time to make your voice heard. Go vote.
